Using web 2.0 and social networking tools in the K-12 classroom

Modern K-12 lessons should never be dull or rote. In today's classrooms, educators can engage their students using a wide range of digital and social networking tools, from wikis and blogs to podcasts and videoconferences. In this timely book, Crane brings together the best tools, ideas, examples, resources and lessons to help educators create unique and modern curricula to motivate their students.A teacher and director at the K-12 and college levels, presenter and author with extensive experience creating and incorporating technology tools into curricula, Crane explores the many reasons for using and ways to implement Web 2.0 and social networking tools in a school curriculum. She covers a broad range of tools, including blogs, wikis, podcasts, videoconferencing, social networking, Google Tools and Digital Storytelling. Each chapter incorporates a different subject area, topic and age level. She also devotes entire chapters using Web 2.0 to enhance ESL learning, elective subjects and creating a community beyond the classroom. In every chapter, she offers ideas and insights exploring the objectives and uses of the tool, pointers for getting started and practical applications with sample lessons. Readers will find teacher exercises, instructions and screenshots throughout. Crane offers curriculum examples from educators around the world and up-to-date exercises on a companion website.

A new information revolution -- Enhancing collaboration and communication with blogs -- Using wikis in language arts and social studies -- Experiencing history through podcasts -- Opening your classrooms to the world via Skype -- Bringing the social networking revolution to K-12 classrooms -- Using Google in the science classroom -- tools that work -- Creating motivating lessons with video -- Enhancing English language learning with web 2.0 tools -- Bringing web 2.0 and social networking into elective subjects -- Creating community with web 2.0 tools and social networking.