Writely.com

(click on the title above to go to the website)

Writely is yet another collaborative writing tool. It is totally free in its current beta version. It is somewhat similar to Schtuff.com, in that you can designate the email addresses of those who can edit and those who can only view the document; and it does not track changes like Writeboard.com. What is that is different is that it is a full-fledge online word processor, that also allows uploading and downloading files in MS Word format. I have encountered a few bugs in trying to change font and color, possibly due to the beta version.

Schtuff.com

This is another Wiki tool (see my Writeboard entry). Schtuff allows more sophisticated editing than Writeboard, and allows you to designate the email address of those who are permitted to view, edit, and/or comment on the Wiki document. You are allowed three Schtuff spaces at no cost, each of which can have multiple documents. The one thing it does not have, that Writeboard does have, is the ability to track changes made to a document over time.

Create a Custom Magazine from Fickr photos

(click on the title above to go to the website)

This site allows you to grab a Flickr photo and creat a magazine cover using it. I have used this with large, online undergraduate classes. The students love it!!! -- except the 2 to 4% who absolutely cannot follow my detailed instructions for downloading the magazine cover and uploading it into WebCT! For those, I offer an alternative assignment.

BONUS - Click Here for a list of other great Flickr! tools. I am going to check a few others out and will post on this list any that I think are good for teaching.

MapHacks.Net

(click title above to go to website)

OK -- A bit of an esoteric way to start this list, but as a geographer, this is something that I am interested in. According to the site: "We're developing a resource where developers, programmers, and those interested in maphacks can locate news, information, tools, and resources of interest. Topics of focus are Google Maps API, Google Earth, Yahoo! Maps, and MSN Windows Local Live." It is not quite ready yet, but will hopefully be ready soon.

Web 2.0 Teaching Tools - Goals

I think that a lot of the Web 2.0 websites and webtools have great potential in the classroom. And this website is where I am going to post links to these tools. It will start out slow, but should build over time. As a college professor, the tools that I post may be more suited to that level of education. However, I am willing to cosider posting other tools, if you let me know about them.

What is Web 2.0? I suggest these websites to answer that question:

• Web 2.0 : the 24 Minute Documentary (video on TechCruch)
• Web 2.0 Videos and Powerpoints - if you are a visual learner, this is great
• Virtual Karma - Complete List of Web 2.0 Applications -This is what inspired me to start this blog
  
• Wikipedia - "Web 2.0"
• Emily Chang's eHub - eHub is a constantly updated list of web applications, services, resources, blogs or sites with a focus on next generation web (web 2.0), social software, blogging, Ajax, Ruby on Rails, location mapping, open source, folksonomy, design and digital media sharing