Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Wednesday- Wonderful Web 2.0 Tool


Happy Wednesday Friends! Thanks to everyone who has linked up for Monday- Must Have Apps and Tuesday-Technology I Couldn't Live Without! Today is Wonderful Web 2.0 Tool(s).  There are so many awesome sites out there it is hard to keep up with them all!
Today's Meet which I mentioned a long time ago over here is an awesome backchannel Web 2.0 Tool. It is a similar to Twitter in that it only allows a limited number of characters for each post (140 characters), however the message is only saved to that "room." Today's Meet is kind of like a chat room but when used in the classroom it can be a very powerful tool. It allows for everyone to be heard, even your shy friends who never raise their hand to share will speak up on Today's Meet. Today's Meet also allows for questions without interruption. Students can answer each other's questions, discuss the lesson as it is happening and share insights.  It is also a great way for students to practice their typing skills, writing mechanics and grammar. When Today's Meet is being used you can usually hear a pin drop in the room and there is amazing discussion going on.

One thing I love about it is that it is so easy and doesn't require usernames or passwords. Students just have to click and follow a link or type a simple URL. Then they type their name and join the room. As the creator of rooms you don't even need a username or password and you can easily create a  "room" and set the duration from 1 hour to 1 year. There are some drawbacks that I won't get into too much (you cannot delete a post if someone writes something inappropriate, only 127 characters per post, if students struggle with typing it is frustrating when the conversation moves quickly, students might try to sign in as someone else or not as themselves) but it is free and if you teach kids how to use it properly it can increase engagement and participation. I honestly haven't had ANY problems with this but as an adult these were some of my own initial concerns. I have used it a lot with technology trainings and it works really well. One of the 5th grade teachers uses it weekly as her class meeting and it has been working beautifully. She recently used it to help teach voice and assigned everyone a secret name and as they talked with each other they had to determine who was who. 

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If you haven't conducted a Today's Meet before go check it out and post a comment on my sample one

8 comments:

  1. I LOVE Today's Meet! I use it often and I actually just used it today for a reading response. Thank you for hosting this linky and sorry I'm so late to the party. :)

    Kristin
    iTeach 1:1

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    1. Hey Kristin! Today's Meet is definitely one of my favorite Web 2.0 Tools. The kids love it and it is so easy to use! Don't apologize for being late to the link I am just happy to have you linking up :)! Feel free to go back to Monday and Tuesday if you wish!

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  2. I am not familiar with Web 2.0, but I keep hearing about it. Sounds fun!

    Sarah
    Using My Teacher Voice

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    Replies
    1. Web 2.0 is actually just a fancy term for websites that allow the user to interact or collaborate rather than just a site with information so technically blogger.com is a Web 2.0 tool. There are TONS of Web 2.0 tools and I am sure you have used a bunch :)! Thanks for stopping by and if you think of something feel free to link up :)!

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  3. I love TodaysMeet, too! I've only used it a couple of times with my 2nd graders, but it's so easy, even they can do it! I intended to link up with your party this week, but I've been home with a sick baby and hubby all week--the flu has taken over my house! :(

    Take care,
    GAYLA
    Teach On.

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    Replies
    1. I am so excited to hear that you are using TodaysMeet with your class too! Feel better, I know the flu is going around like crazy. Everyone at school has been sick and my husband is sick now too, ironically it is usually me that gets sick but I have somehow managed to avoid the mega bug (knock on wood)! Anyways, I hope you feel better and please feel free to go back and link up this weekend or when you are feeling better. The beauty of this linky is really there are no rules that you have to post on that day :)!

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