10 Educational Web 2.0 Tools

Trip Wow!

Trip Wow is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to create an instant slideshow for from your trip. Along with the pictures from your trip that you upload, it will a provide maps that will make your slideshow seem as if it is part of a tv traveling show. Considering EAST is a community outreach program for students and they do not have the freedom to go everywhere, this tool will allow students to see other and find other places. Along will allowing students to explore, this will also allow them to create presentations to show journeys, or other trips to their audience.

Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a free audio editing software that can be used in most windows operating systems. It has all the features to edit audio, produce music loops, analyze, record and batch record. It allows you to edit both WAV and MP3 audio files. Both digital communications and EAST classes will both use audio in any of their assignments/projects. This is a free software, so it will come to no cost to the school and will allow students to create and edit audio with ease.

Sketch up
Sketch up is a drawing program that takes regular drawings and scales them to real-life dimensions. In other words, you could begin to draw a simple house drawing in Sketch Up and the program will allow you to make it into 3D. You can push and pull surfaces to make them 3D, stretch, copy or rotate your drawings to make anything you like. In the EAST program there is a constant use of 3D creation software, however most are often difficult to use. Sketch up is an easy drawing software that allows beginner 3D artists to learn how to create without the confusion.

Chart Gizmo
Chart Gizmo is a free online chart builder. After you have created your free account, you can create colorful charts by just copy and pasting the information. It also allows you to import date from Excel. This is especially useful for people who want to visualize financial, scientific or any other types of data. This would be extremely useful for presentations in both a computer business class and EAST. Instead of having to go through the hassle of creating a chart, you can just type in the information of the chart into Chart Gizmo and it will create a visual of the data.

Kubbu
Kubbu is an e-learning tool for teacher and home a-schoolers designed to easily create learning activities for students. Anyone can easily create crosswords, tests and puzzles and make them accessible online for students. Kubbu also shows statistics from the activities and allows you to have up to 30 students on your account. Considering all the terminology used in computer business applications and digital communications, this is a great tool to use for vocabulary quizzes. Besides giving the quizzes, it also makes it easier for grading instead of having to track down paper quizzes to put in the grade book.

Clay Animator

Clay animator is a free animation tool that allows you to bring simple drawings to life. Basically you just draw your image and it will allow you to create a simple animation. It also contains lots of information on animation. This is great for creating small GIFs for powerpoints and websites. This would be a lot simpler than a student having to create several pictures to create their GIF for EAST or digital communications.


CamStudio

Cam Studio is a screen-casting tool that can allow you to create video tutorials and more. It allows you to add screen captions for subtitles or if you just do not like your voice. Best of all it is completely free and easy to use. One subject that is also taught in a digital communications class is screen casting and this would require something that is simple to use for beginner students. Most students have a hard time when it come to recording their voice so the screen caption feature will also be a huge help for self conscious students

Drop Box

Drop Box is a great free storage tool that allows you to take access your file anywhere, even with your phone. Similar to Google Drive all you need is an account which happens to be free. It is safe secure and allows your to share your files safely with friends. This is a great free alternative to the large network of storage that a student must their files to on their school campus. Both EAST classes and digital communications students would make great use of their tool, considering the large projects they must complete for their classes.

Ribbet!

Ribbet is a photo editing tool that has numerous features such as cloud storage. Besides photo editing it allows you to create collages and calenders. It is not free however, but it does have a free trial offer. Even though this is not a free tool, this does come to a much smaller price than the Adobe Creative Suite. This would be great to introduce students to photo editing and the different functions associated with it.

Bruce's Unusual Typing Wizard

Bruce's Unusual Typing Wizard is a free typing tutor software that is available to the Windows operating system. Unlike most typing tutors, this software creates unusual typing combinations to keep the person typing on their toes. It supports multiple user and saves the typing statistics, such as gwam. In the eight grade, most students are working on learning how to type and this would be a great and free alternative to tracking down multiple keyboarding games. This would also all the student to see their improvement from statistics.

Quizlet 

Quizlet is a great, free tool for anybody needing help studying for a test. It allows you to create multiple sets of flashcards and  even lets you look for sets that other users have created that you can use. Besides the basic flash card, Quizlet allows you to play study games such as space race. This is a fun alternative to studying vocabulary words off a sheet of paper for students.  Considering all the terminology assossiated with computer business applications and digital communications, a teacher can just plug in the word and definition on Quizlet and it will create a fun study guide for students. Quizlet  also has a mobile app so student can even study on the go.