Three Web 2.0 Tools and Help Videos

I thought that the three Web 2.0 tools - Kerpoof, AnswerGarden, and Symbaloo - all had some educational value, perhaps moreso at one grade level than another. For me as a kindergarten teacher, I thought that the first tool, Kerpoof, held the most promise for use with students in the classroom. I teach emerging readers and writers, and they need help with the whole literacy process. Kerpoof offers young elementary students the opportunity to compose, spell, create a storyline, illustrate and share with an audience. I like that it is so user-friendly, and clear for the students to understand as a literacy tool. They are very imaginative, and would really enjoy being a part of the creative process in developing a story from start to finish. We read from the 'Magic Tree House' series, which is an adventure fantasy that gets their attention, keeps them interested and prompts lots of comments! They would therefore enjoy working together as a class in sharing their ideas, while learning about the writing process and its basic steps. They love any type of animation, and would love to re-read the stories and revisit the characters, perhaps even creating a series of their own! The AnswerGarden tool might be more appropriate for older elementary students, and I like that it gets them involved through an online poll activity. It also provides a great visual for brainstorming together. The Symbaloo tool is wonderful in that it helps a teacher be organized by grouping websites according to common themes, topics, etc. Having the visual of each icon to click and access the websites is very user-friendly, especially for those new to navigation. It's a very effective way for anyone to manage resources and reference others to use them.