20 Web 2.0 Tools for Student Literacy Projects
Using tools of Web 2.0, also referred to as “read/write web,” is a way to take project-based learning into the 21st Century. By putting technology into the hands of learners, instructors give students engaging opportunities to learn hands-on yet a another “language,” interact with the instructor and their classmates, express themselves creatively, and publish to a world-wide audience – all online and for free.
An electronic version of this list is available online at or
# / Site / What it is /What it does / How to / Example(s) / Similar Sites
1 / Blogger
/ Blog -- a web log – online journal, photosharing, posting videos, commenting / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
Teacher Training Videos trainingvideos.hscs.wmin.ac.uk/blogger/index.html / Beth Bogage, SDCCD ecc6.blogspot.com/ and
Eli Clarke, MiraCosta Collegeelidinamarca.blogspot.com/ (with list of student blogs)
Barry Bakin, Pacoima Skills Centertech4esl.blogspot.com/
Kristi Reyes, VESL and ESL Digital Storytelling, MiraCostaCollege
mccvesl.blogspot.com/ (with list of sudent blogs)
mccdigitalstory.blogspot.com/
Readable Blog: For English Learners
/ classblogmeister.com/
edublogs.org/
eslblogs.org/
wordpress.com/
2 / Podomatic
/ Podcast -- An online audio cast or webcast (video from webcam), with or without visuals / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
Teacher Training Videos / Steve Gwynn’s VESL class at SDCCD
veslclass.podomatic.com/
Beth Bogage, SDCCD
bethbogage.podomatic.com/, esl6.mypodcast.com/
Kristi Reyes’ VESL class at MiraCostaCollege (student podcasts)
kreyes.podomatic.com/
Other ESL-specific podcast sites
a4esl.org/podcasts/
grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx
See Teacher Training Videos for recommended ELT podcasts
trainingvideos.hscs.wmin.ac.uk/eltPods/index.html / mypodcast.com/
3 / PBWiki
pbwiki.com/ / Wiki -- A shared / collaborative website – users can contribute, edit content / PBWiki User Manual pbwiki.com/content/supportcenter
Teacher Training Videos
YouTube video
Join the Educators Wiki educators.pbwiki.com/ / Barry Bakin, PacoimaSkillsCenter
mrbakinsesl.pbwiki.com/
Kristi Reyes, MiraCostaCollege
mccesl.pbwiki.com/
Blair Roy’s Wiki for Students and Teachers
ggae-esl.wikidot.com/
ESL Wiki for Teachers
esl.wikia.com/wiki/Mainpage
Links to ESL Wikis
educators.pbwiki.com/ESL+wikis
Adult Education Literacy Wiki
wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Main_Page
Wiki listing examples of several educational wikis educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis / jottit.com/
scribblewiki.com/main.php
For list of many wiki hosting sites and comparisons of features, see
4 / AuthorStream
/ Site for sharing PowerPoint slides online; PowerPoint files converted documents to Flash presentations, keeping audio and animation; comments can be added. New feature: sharing presentations livewith contacts (web meeting); watch and discuss the same presentation; chat / AuthorStream Frequently Asked Questions
For information on Present Live see / Beth Bogage, SDCCD
Kristi Reyes, MiraCosta College
/ (see # 12)
(no audio)
5 / Bookr
bookr/ / Tool for making online book using photos from Flickr. Search Flickr photos or create an account and upload your own photos. / Download information at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb / Bookr Example
/
piclits.com/compose_dragdrop.aspx
6 / VoiceThread
/ Upload several types of media (images, documents and videos), narrate the media and permit others to comment or collaborate in the following ways: verbal recorded comments (with microphone or telephone), text comments, audio file comments, video comments (webcam). Other features: The Doodler -- create a drawing and comment synchronously on it with a voice recording or textual notes; Video Doodling -- users upload a video; comments can be added via microphone or webcam on particular video segments. / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
See Teacher Training Videos
trainingvideos.hscs.wmin.ac.uk/voiceThread/index.html
Listen to other educators’ suggestions and contribute your own ideas for using VoiceThread at “100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in Education” voicethread.com/share/26224/.
“Digitally Speaking” wiki: digitallyspeaking.pbwiki.com/Voicethread, which contains collection of VoiceThreads, steps for planning VoiceThreads, commenting tips, useful handouts.
VoiceThread 4 Education Wiki voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/ samples of uses of VoiceThread in ESL/EFL voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/EFL+%26+ESL / Life Changes, Student presentationsonyahermosa.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-changes.html
Biography of a famous person / famous people
voicethread.com/share/9384/.
voicethread.com/share/71019/
Book Reports and Digital Stories voicethread.com/share/16999/
Defining “Honor”
voicethread.com/share/1264/
Cultural/Family/Holiday Traditions voicethread.com/#u6284.b9891.i68331
ed.voicethread.com/#q.b6151
voicethread.com/share/1468/.
Grammar Practice in ESL Content-Based Instruction voicethread.com/share/61467/
Poetry thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2008/03/voicethread-examples.html.
Pronunciation and Vocabulary Practice voicethread.com/share/9458/voicethread.com/share/36403/
Verb Tenses voicethread.com/share/34182/ and voicethread.com/share/29282/
Speaking and Writing Prompts voicethread.com/share/54904/ /
(but no audio comments)
(sync slides with audio)
7 / Slide.com
/ Online slideshow with images, text, music, special effects / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb / Instructor samples kristireyes.slide.com/
Student project, Me in the Future / And several others
See CogDogRoo Wiki: 50 Tools to Tell a Story cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools
8 / Glogster
/ Online scrapbook page with text, design elements, images, audio, video, hyperlinks.
Comments can be left on glogs. / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
“Create Yours” glog lets you practice without registering / “Artificial Intelligence” movie posterivana24.glogster.com/AI/
“My Favorite Places” candie.glogster.com/glog-191-739/
PSA on stopping child abuse gigglemonster.glogster.com/STOP/
King Tut reportstrangee.glogster.com/TUTANCHAMON/
Information about a classkreyes.glogster.com/ESL-Digital-Storytelling-at-MCC/ /
9 / Dipity
/ Online timeline with text, images, video.
Comments can be addes to any event on a timeline. / Download directions at / Biography of singer Billy Joel
History of Technology
Student created timelines:
/ See also ReadWriteThink biocube tool
readwritethink.org/materials/bio_cube/
10 / Voki
/ Make a talking avatar / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb / Sample Voki (instructor)
mccesl5.blogspot.com/
Sample Voki (students)
wakavesl.blogspot.com/2008/03/welcome-to-my-blog-from-waka.html
mccvesl.blogspot.com/2007/08/heidys-avatar-says-hi.html
Sample Mow-Tor Mail:
Sample Gamespot: / sendables.jibjab.com/category/starring_you#
host-d.oddcast.com/
(animates uploaded photos, making them appear to talk)
Yahoo Avatars (only image, no messages)
uk.avatars.yahoo.com/
11 / Big Huge Labs
bighugelabs.com/
Movie poster:
/ Many projects with Flickr or Photobucket imagesor your own digital photos or by entering the URLfor an online image.
Calendar: / Download information at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
Warholizer:
/ Badge Maker bighugelabs.com/flickr/badge.php
Billboard bighugelabs.com/flickr/billboard.php
Calendar bighugelabs.com/flickr/calendar.php
Captionerbighugelabs.com/flickr/captioner.php
CD Cover bighugelabs.com/flickr/cd.php
Magazine Cover bighugelabs.com/flickr/magazine.php
Motivator bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php
Movie Poster bighugelabs.com/flickr/poster.php
Slideshow bighugelabs.com/flickr/slideshow.php
Trading Card Maker bighugelabs.com/flickr/deck.php
and others /
See also many resources for student projects at
12 / Scribd
/ Upload documents (.pdf, .doc, .ppt, .xls, .txt, .odt, .odp) to share online. Test-to-speech conversion. / See Using Scribd.com at / Site Sample
Student Sample
/ vuzit.com/
13 / Bubbleply
/ Add callouts (speech and thought bubbles) and/or captions to online video (YouTube or the site’s videos, or your own videos uploaded to a video sharing site); “bubbles” can be hyperlinks (e.g., a Web site or email address); add multimedia (images uploaded from a computer or video from a wecam) and built-in animated clip art. / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
See video demo at / Captioned video of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech:
Dialog or thought bubbles on a clip with no dialog: and
Captions to a “how to” video (demonstration of child CPR)
demonstration of Child CPR / YouTube video annotations/captions: video tutorial at and help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=100077 and
Google Video captions: video tutorial at video.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=26577
(registered users create a “blink” – short message at the beginning of a movie or TV program scene)
(upload video from a YouTube URL or from your hard drive, add titles, special effects, and audio. See demos at and
14 / Jumpcut
/ Video editor -- Make and edit video online with video clips, photos, and audio right from your computer or digital camera or use media from Jumput Editor. Use web-based editor to rearrange clips and photos, add titles, effects. / Jumpcut Quick Guide jumpcut.com/quickGuide/quickGuide_upload / Short instructor’s sample /
eyespot.com/#
Also similar to video editing programs: Windows Movie Maker and Photostory (free with Windows), imovie (standard on Macs), and commercial softwaresuch as Adobe Premiere, etc.
15 / Dvolver
/ Make animated digital movie / Teacher Training Video / Instructor sample mccvesl.blogspot.com/2007/10/sample-career-research-movie-made-on_24.html
Student project / Digitalfilms digitalfilms.com/
Grapheine Bombay TV
16 / Zentation
/ Merge online video with PowerPoint slides / Download directions at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb / Site sample
Student project
Student project
Instructor’s sample / (recently acquired by Google, can also caption/annotate video similar to BubblePly, #13)
17 / Phrasr / Create a visual slide show for a poem or any sentence using Flickr photos (like a pictogram) / Download information at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb / Phrasr
/ / Fridge magnet poetry (good for practicing parts of speech)
Word art sites
wordle.net/ typogenerator.net/index.php
18 / Bubblr
Bubbleshare
MakeBeliefsComix / Make cartoon strips / comics / Download information at kreyes.mcc.googlepages.com/usingtheweb
Bubbleshare Help and FAQs
MakeBeliefsComix How to / Bubblr student project
Bubbleshare student project
Makebeliefscomix instructor sample
/ comiqs.com/
pixton.com/home
toonlet.com/
Teacher Training Video on ToonDoo
19 / Storymash
storymash.com/ / Collaborative online ficition writing. Start a story online, invite others to collaborate, and read the story as it develops or contribute a follow-up chapter. / See About StoryMash storymash.com/about/ / “The Appreciated Tutor” storymash.com/u/mybeautifuldaydream/hadefige/ /
madlibs.org/
myths.e2bn.org/create/
writewith.com/
thestorystarter.com/ (get random sentences)
20 / A.notate
a.nnotate.com/ / Annotate documents (PDF, Word, Web pages. Excel spreadsheets) online by highlighting text to add a note. Request feedback on a document by emailing a link; recipient can add replies to notes and add own comments. / See features at a.nnotate.com/features.html
See demos and screenshots at a.nnotate.com/ / Practice page a.nnotate.com/php/pdfnotate.php?d=2008-01-23&c=3ryhsi#page1 / Google Documents: see tour at
bookgoo.com/
1 / Kristi Reyes, San Diego Regional CATESOL Conference 2008