Anna's+Page

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 * WEB 2.0 TOOLS**

1. __ Zinepal.com __

Please go visit my zine at []. From there you can check out each individual page by clicking on the links provided, or chose to view the collection as a PDF document. I set it up for beginning Spanish speakers. A zine is a website where you can catalog and collect helpful outside websites and put all the information on one page. I have about six different pages on my zine. Each story header is a link that will take you to that website if you decide that you are interested and want to look into it further. This could be a really great tool if you want to create a resource for your children. It is the perfect tool to use if you have a lot of websites that you want to put in one central location. Zine could be made better if there were more formatting options for how the stories are laid out. Zine could also use more directions and even explain itself a little more fully for people like me who do not have a lot of experience with blogging and other online uses. Overall though, it is interesting to use and could be a good resource for your class. Especially for little kids who shouldn't be wandering all over the web, this tool might be a safer route for giving web-based assignments.

2. __Slideshare.com__

Next, please visit the slideshare account that I set up at http://www.slideshare.net/annagruen. Slideshare is a fairly simple social networking system that allows you to post files such as PDF and PowerPoint. In order to use Slideshare.com, you must first create an account. Then you are free to upload documents, invite friends, create events, write on the wall, or do many other things with the options available. On my slideshare, I added my Powerpoint from my presentation on Chapter 6b: Building Vocabulary. I also added a Word document to show you what it looks like on a slideshare site. You can add as much information as you want on your profile; currently, it says my profile is only 81% complete because I didn't want to share my personal information on the site. This would be an excellent tool to use as a teacher. It is extremely simple to use and a great location to centralize information for a class. By putting up Powerpoints, students are able to review notes used in class and can post questions, comments, or ideas that they have concerning the information. You could also create an account for the whole class and have students post things onto one slideshare so that the class as a whole can present a full, well-rounded and very resourceful slideshare site. With the built-in emailing among friends, communication would be easily done through the slideshare site. I really enjoyed slideshare because it's like a facebook for Powerpoints and other documents. Because it is user-friendly, I do plan on using this site in the future so that students can stay in tune to what's going on in the class and they can review notes and communicate with each other and myself more easily. The one thing I do not like about slideshare is that there are ads in the middle of my site. However, if these can be ignored, it is an efficient way to connect and collect materials and classroom information as well as including outside sites and sources.

[|CAST BOOK-- Arnold]