Born to Be Wired!

Some Web 2.0 Tools Explanations and Links

• hotlists-are organized lists of resources on the Internet that educators may find useful. The lists save time and provide quality online resources for classroom needs. http://www.eduhound.com/hotlist/

• scavenger hunts-a scavenger hunt focuses on a particular theme that the teacher is introducing. A science teacher may use a scavenger hunt to introduce students to Dinosaurs, for example. The difference between a scavenger hunt and a Guided Tour is that the scavenger hunt is designed to introduce students to using search engines to find information on the Internet. http://homepage.mac.com/cohora/ext/internethunts.html

• webquests-Student-centered and inquiry-based, a WebQuest challenges students to explore the web for information. Most WebQuests include the links that are appropriate for students to research as well as suggestions for further research. WebQuests are generally constructed around a scenario of interest to students. Traditionally WebQuests have an introduction, a process, a task, a list of resources, a conclusion, and an evaluation. http://webquest.org/index-resources.php

• simulation-A simulation is an imitation of some real thing, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviors of a selected physical or abstract system. http://www.hazelwood.k12.mo.us/~grichert/sciweb/applets.html

• blogs-A blog is a website where entries are written in chronological order and displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

  Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, videos (vlog), music, or audio, and are part of a wider network of social media. http://www.blogger.com

• wikis-A wiki is a web application designed to allow multiple authors to add, remove, and edit content.The multiple author capability of wikis makes them effective tools for mass collaborative authoring. http://www.wikispaces.com/

• podcasts-A podcast is a digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. A podcast is a specific type of webcast which, like 'radio', can mean either the content itself or the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html

• RSS-RSS (which, in its latest format, stands for "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed," "web feed," or "channel," contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually. http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html