This document provides an overview of creating a class website using free online tools. It discusses using blogs, wikis, and other web 2.0 tools to publish student work online and transform teaching and learning. Specific tools mentioned include Blogger, Wikispaces, Delicious, Flickr, Slideshare, and many others for adding multimedia, comments, and other engagement. Guidelines are provided for setting up accounts and embedding features like counters and feeds into blogs and wikis.

1. http://www.jsharp.co.nz
http://sharpjacqui.blogspot.com
http://jacquisharp.blogspot.com
http://jsharp.wikispaces.com
http://del.icio.us/sharpjacqui
info@jsharp.co.nz
© Jacqui Sharp 2008

2. Course Description
Create a class website
 with individual pages for your children to showcase their
work. Use the free tools available on the internet to make
this happen. Experiment with free software that will
publish your students’ work in ways you have never seen
before. Identify the tools that you are going to be able to
use with your students in the class. Find out how simple
this can be and transform the teaching, learning and
assessment in your classroom practice.
 You will need to have examples of student’s work on your
laptop this can be any WordProcessed documents, Word,
PowerPoints, Keynotes; photos of art work, handwriting
samples, test results; Kidspiration and Inspiration
documents, in fact any work they have completed.

3. General Disclaimer
Adapted from http://web20wiki.wikispaces.com/?f=print
 As with all Internet use, some of the sites presented here may
today, tomorrow or next week contain content that is not
student appropriate. This is usually more of an issue with sites
where people can upload their own content. How you choose
to deal with this will depend on your students and your school
policies. Generally I believe that the value of these tools on
these websites far outweigh the possible dangers they present.
In addition, it is critical that we teach students skills of media
literacy, discretion, and good judgment. Trying to block them
from everything that is potentially objectionable may not be
the most effective way to accomplish this.

4. William D Winn, Director of the Learning Centre at the
University of Washington
believes that years of computer use creates children that
“… think differently from us. They develop hypertext minds.
They leap around. It’s as though their cognitive structures
were parallel, not sequential.”
(Prensky, 2001a).
In other words, today’s students may not be well-suited to
the more linear progression of learning that most
educational systems employ.

6. Browsers
Multimedia (Music, Movies
Picture Editing)
Wordprocessing
Graphic Organisers,
Drawing, Recording and
Reporting

8. Del.icio.us
It is a social book
 What is 
marking site. It is for
storing, sharing and
del.icio.us? discovering internet
bookmarks/favourites
with other users
Create an account in Delicious
http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-create-account-in-delicious.html

9. Compress Photos
 Most internet tools can work with fairly large
photos but it is a good idea to compress them
to less than 500 kb (no smaller than 80kb)
 Use Microsoft Picture Manager
How to compress photos in Picture Manager
http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-compress-photos-in-microsoft.html

11. Why Weblogs?
Constructivist tool
 Blogs demand interaction
 Blogs have links
 Readers are able to respond
 Expands the classroom walls
 Provides an audience
 Archives learning
 Supports different learning styles

12. Students and Blogs
 Are Personal journaling rather than blogging
 Journaling: account of the days events or
feelings
 Blogging: process of thinking in words
 Promotes critical and analytical thinking
 Promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational
thinking

13. What are they being used for?
 Class portal
 Course materials, curriculum, homework assignments,
handouts, presentations
 Online filing cabinets for student work
 Students post work online for peer and teacher response,
archives work, see growth
 E-portfolios
 Could conceivably span several years
 Collaborative space
 Collaborate with others that you invite to comment on your blog
or answer questions http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/
 School websites

14. Why would you use a blog?
Personal blog Classroom
 Reflection on your own
 Post class related information
teaching experience  Post assignments
 Communicate with parents
 Explain teaching insights
 Provide examples of class work
 Share ideas for activities or  Post activities or games
games  Post internet resources
 Create ‘How to’s ‘
 Publish examples of good work
 Create a literature circle
 Explore important teaching inviting students to participate
and learning issues  Class newsletter
 Link with another class

15. Blogs
A blog is an online chronological journal Blog Authoring sites
 Short for Web Log  Blogger (also known as
 publicly available web pages blogspot)
 has personal views and links http://blogger.com
expressing the opinions and  Edublogs
observations http://edublogs.org/
Create an account in Blogger
http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-create-blog-in-blogger.html

16. Useful Blog Elements Click on
Make a list of Add a slideshow
blogs to read Of photos
Create a List of
Add a Picture of
websites, blogs
your avatar

17. Useful Blog Elements Click on
Add a
This is the most description
useful element, about your
this is the one blog
you use for
widgets like
Maps etc
Whatever tags
you apply to
Posts will
appear
here with the
number of
times posted

18. Blog policies
http://www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
 Classroom space ( just like a classroom)
there are various requirements and rules of classroom teachers.
 Never EVER give out or record personal information on your blog. Don’t give out your
phone number or home address.
 Your blog is a public space. Be sure that anything you write is something you are proud
of.
 Never link to something you haven’t read.
 Students blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most
visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you
receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your
teacher right away. Do not respond to the comment.
 6. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing
any software without permission, and not clicking on ads or competitions.
 7. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity
to take part in this project.

20. where
 A professor tested
time any place
Wikipedia (2006) by creating
13 errors on various posts, how
they were fixed in a couple of
hours
 December 2005 the magazine ‘Nature’
compared 43 entries in Wikipedia to
Encyclopedia Britannica and found Wikipedia
to be only slightly less accurate

21. Indian Ocean earthquake Christmas 2004
9 hours later
Edited
24 hours later 400
times
Edited
48 hours later 1,200
times
Edited
6 months later 7,000
times
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

22. Wikis as a Communication Forum
Why have a wiki? Class Wikis
 Each child can have a page  http://finkspace.wikispaces
 Many online publishing
.com/ Aorere College
Social Sciences wiki
tools can be embedded into
 http://bucklandsbeach.wiki
a wiki
spaces.com/Our+blogs+an
 Whole class work can be d+wikis
viewed  https://room18tis.wikispac
 Online viewing by others es.com/
 Visual  http://primaryextension.wi
kispaces.com/
 http://gowest.wikispaces.c
om/

23. Wiki authoring sites
 http://wikispaces.com
 http://pbwiki.com
Create an account in Wikispaces
http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-set-up-wiki-site.html

24. Wiki etiquette for students
http://educators.pbwiki.com/Wiki%20Etiquette%20for%20Students
 Keep safe
 Be truthful
 Ask first then give credit
 Be nice
 Read, re-read and proof –read
 Information please (Who, What, When, Where, Why?)
 Be brief, to the point and logical
 Follow directions
 Do not delete the work of others deliberately
 Keep it on topic- classroom oriented

25. Visual objects, icons or graphical interface
elements that can be manipulated by the
computer user to perform a desired
function online or on their computer.
Definition
http://www.webdesignseo.com/blogging-terms/web-20-terms.php

26. How to Paste code into Blogs
 Go to your Blog, click on Sign in or
Customise
 Click on Layout tab if it is not
selected
 Click on Add a Page Element
 Click on HTML/JavaScript – Add to
Blog
 Paste in code, click Save
 Drag the element to where you want
it in the side panel
 Click Save

27. How to Paste code into Wikispaces
 Go to your Wikispace
 Click on ‘edit navigation’ at the
bottom of your Navigation Panel
 Click on the Widgets button
 Click on Other HTML
 Paste the code and click Save
 And Save again

28. Del.icio.us widget
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/delicioustagroll
 Type in your username
 You might like to make the height a
little bigger than 250 depending on
how many tags you have
 Change font colours in
small Font colour
 Click on Get Widget
 Copy the code
 Paste into a HTML widget space in
Blogger (Layout) or in the Edit
Navigation space in Wikispaces

29. Bravenet Hit counter
http://www.bravenet.com/global/login.php?serv_name=counter
Hit Counters: these register when somebody
arrives on your page
1. Sign up for a hit counter. Click on Join Bravenet
2. Type in a username and password
You can have counters on at least 3 sites

30. Cluster maps http://clustrmaps.com/
 Add a map to show where your
visitors come from
 Type in the address of your site
 Type in your email
 Click Make my map
 Copy the code
 Paste into a HTML widget
space in Blogger (Layout) or in
the Edit Navigation space in
Wikispaces

31. Feedjit: Live Traffic Feed
http://feedjit.com/
 Click on Add it
 Click once on the code
 Copy it
 Paste into Blogger or
Wikispaces

32. Add news headlines from Google Reader
http://www.google.com/uds/solutions/wizards/newsbar.html?uds_o=0
 Type in the news headings you
want to show (i.e New Zealand)
 Type in a title
 Click Show Code
 Highlight and copy the code
 Paste into a HTML widget space
in Blogger (Layout) or in the Edit
Navigation space in Wikispaces

33. Library thing
http://www.librarything.com/
 Join now or Sign in
 Click on Add Books
 Type in the name of the book and click Search
 Click on the name of the book to add it to your library
 You can add a review and rate it by
clicking on edit book
 Click on Tools tab
 Click on Make a standard blog widget
 Make choices as to how you would
like your book list to appear
 Copy the code
 Paste into a HTML widget space in
Blogger (Layout) or in the Edit Navigation space in Wikispaces

34. Avatars
 Create a Weemee
http://www.weeworld.com/de
fault.aspx
 Sign in
 Click on Create a Weemee
 When finished copy the code
 Paste into a HTML widget Or create a Meez
space in http://www.meez.com/home.dm
Blogger (Layout) or in the Edit Or a Doppel Me
http://www.doppelme.com/
Navigation space in
Wikispaces

36. Upload PowerPoints to Slideshare
 Upload PowerPoints
to Slideshare
 These can be inserted
into wikis and blogs
 http://jacquiscourses.blogs
pot.com/2008/07/upload-
powerpoints-to-
slideshare.html

37. Big Huge Labs: Variety of Photo Applications
http://www.bighugelabs.com/flickr/
Motivator Warholizer Jigsaw
Dice

38. Be Funky: cartoonise your photos
http://www.befunky.com

39. Luna Pic: Photo effects
http://www.lunapic.com/

40. Mapwing: create a virtual tour from photos with a
map background
http://www.mapwing.com/

41. Mixbook: Online books
http://www.mixbook.com/
Mixbook example

42. Dipity Example
Dipity:
interactive
timelines
http://www.
dipity.com

43. Photoshow: Slideshow captions, transitions, effects, and music
http://www.photoshow.com/home
Photoshow
example

44. Animoto - slideshow creator that animates your photos
http://animoto.com/
Animoto Example

45. Voicethread: collaborative space of group conversations
http://voicethread.com
Voicethread example

46. Slide: make slideshows of photos
http://www.slide.com
Slide example

47. Online Mindmap
http://www.bubbl.us/index
 Create basic mindmaps
 Save online
 Others can edit it
 Can be embedded into wikis and blogs
http://jacquisharp.blogspot.com/2
008/06/bubblus-online-
collaborative.html

48. Flickr for storage of images
http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-set-up-flickr-account.html
 Create a Flickr site to
store your photos
 http://www.flickr.com
/photos/sharpjacqui

49. RSS Real Simple Syndication
 Written in XML
 Usually referred to as a ‘feed’ (like a news feed)
 Can subscribe to it so the content comes to you
 Software called an Aggregator (is a feed collector)
so you visit one site rather than many
 www.bloglines.com or www.google.com/reader
 Use one of these to check all your students blogs
or wikis in one place
 Or for research google sites or google news

50. References
 Richardson,W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts
and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.
Corwin Press. California.
 http://del.icio.us/sharpjacqui.blogspot.com
 http://jacquisharp.blogspot.com/
 http://sharpjacqui.blogspot.com/
 http://jacquiscourses.blogspot.com/