Reading+Reflection+(2)

===Article Review === ===Laura Flahive ===

10/20
===Call # EDUC699 === = "Ed Tech Experts Choose Top Tool" =

**Summary of the Article: **
In her article, Jennifer Demski reflects on the ambiguity of what web 2.0 tools really means and what its place is in the classroom. She addresses how it can be used for collaboration and in her words, where a teacher can “'do things of value,' as one of our experts says, in the instructional and professional development realms, and in both the traditional and the virtual classroom." The best way to work your way through the complicated web of 2.0 programs to find ones that are useful and avoid the toys. The best way to find them is by talking to the experts; the first of which is Steve Hargadon whose number 1 tool is good ol' fashioned blogging. While he admits some might find it outdated, he explained that it's a safe and secure place to have conversations outside of the classroom because of the simplicity in blog design. Social networks are his number 2 favorite web 2.0 tool because of the higher degree of reader-response interaction and despite fears of safety issues (student/teacher relations, etc), the benefits are worth any minimal risk that could easily be avoided by taking precautionary steps. Synchronous (i.e. webinars) live platforms are his third preference because of the potential live, real-time communications have in the classroom and work place.

John Kuglin's number one web 2.0 tool was Google Docs because it's saved on the internet, which allows for easy access to all kind of documents on any computer regardless of the operating system. The real-time editing and collaboration, calendar and compatibility with other programs also make it a universal tool for anything from copy editing to presentations. Teachers are able to give students immediate feedback by working simultaneously with the chatting feature. SlideRocket is his number 2 favorite because it gives teachers the same presentation capabilities as Keynote and Powerpoint from the web. So, again, the teacher isn't bound by any particular system. Unfortunately, though, it's not free. Number 3: SchoolFusion gives teachers the ability to build websites for classes and even clubs or sports while "giving teachers instant access to collaborative instruments such as wikis, blogs, messaging, podcasts, and streaming video. It’s this feature that, according to Kuglin, “allows teachers to build [sites] that are so much more powerful than websites.” And even more options are given about Twitter and Ustream, another video presentation 2.0 tool.

Reaction/Reflection
The article was interesting and helpful because it provided more depth about the web 2.0 tools than what I found otherwise. I especially enjoyed reading about SchoolFusion because it seems like an easy answer to a world cluttered by technology. The SchoolFusion incorporates almost all the other web 2.0 tools mentioned in the article into one website, so the teacher could easily incorporate all of these great ideas in one place. I plan on looking into this site to compliment my new Schoology accounts.