Journal #8: "Create a Web 2.0 Toolbox for Your District" NETS-T 2

Journal #8: “Create a Web 2.0 Toolbox for Your District” NETS-T 2

Schad, L. (2010). Creating a web 2.0 toolbox for your district. Learning and Leading With Technology , 38(2), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201012#pg1.

Summary:

This article was about how the Katy Independent School District (KISD) had its Instructional Technology Division create a web 2.0 toolbox. The web 2.0 toolbox consisted of the best suited internet-based tools for its students. Also, after the creation and evaluation of the toolbox the IT Division made it accessible to every member of the KISD District. The use of the toolbox provides self-starters with just enough information to allow one one to incorporate web resources into classrooms. This information includes; help desks, training, instructional technology groups, an overview of each web0tools purpose, information on account creation, and quick-start guides. Some of the web 2.0 tools that the IT Division had placed in the KISD's toolbox were; Prezi, Webspiration, Wordle, etc). However, the main goal and expectation for the use of the toolbox was for teachers to choose one or two tools to use with their students. The article also provided several ways on how students in the KISD used the tools. For instance, an Eight Grader had used Glogster to present a chapter summary for his Social Studies class by using animated, interactive, and digital posters. Also, a Sixth Grader has used Museum Box to capture items to help him describe Aphrodite.

Q1: Do you think that school-age children would find the tools that are in their Web 2.0 toolbox's to be useful?

A1: Yes, I find that school-age children will find tools such as, Prezi and Glogster to be useful. This way whenever they need to create a visual aide for their oral presentations they can use Prezi to help make their presentations more visually pleasing. In addition, web tools such as Glogster will also help assigned tasks (i.e.: chapter summaries) to look more engaging and visually stimulating.

Q2: Do you think that the use of a Web 2.0 Toolbox would be beneficial to have in any school district? 

A2: Yes, I believe that the use of a Web 2.0 Toolbox would be beneficial to have in any school district. I say this because I would find that it would be useful and would save me time from having to search for web tools to implement into my future lessons. By having a tool box with provided overviews of each of the web tools purposes and training tools I find that I would have an easier time with finding and learning how to use each tool.