Web 2.0 Tool #7: PowToon

PowToon

Link: http://www.powtoon.com

Link to this example: https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fkCownU3498/panda-haluha/#/

Description: PowToon is a creative, engaging, free presentation software. It allows users to create slides that can either play as a movie or continue forward on a mouse click. Pictures, animated cartoons, and text can easily be inserted into the presentation. It has cute themes that students love. PowToon can be used by students to present information on any subject. Students will enjoy adding pictures and organizing the objects on a slide. The site has a wealth of cute animated cartoons that can be added to the presentation. Voiceovers can also be added to any presentation with the click of a button. Movies can be published to the site for public view or uploaded to YouTube.

We used PowToon in the classroom to create presentations on the figurative language found in the book Tuck Everlasting. Students had to find three examples of personification, metaphors, and similes and pair the words in the book with a picture. PowToon can easily be integrated into any subject area.

Unfortunately, the free version of PowToon limits the length of the presentations to 5 minutes. Luckily, this is plenty of time for most elementary school students. The major drawback to this software is the inability to insert videos or links. Students enjoy being able to add different short videos to their presentations. There are also some cute themes that cannot be accessed without purchasing a premium or business membership which ranges from $59 to $127 a month. You must also purchase a membership in order to be able to download your presentation to your computer. The verdict- we love using the free version as an alternate to PowerPoint!

Web 2.0 Tool #6: Wordle

Wordle

Link: www.wordle.net

Link to this example: Not applicable

Description: Wordle is a free site that allows users to create word clouds out of inputted text. Users can either type in text of their choice or have Wordle analyze the words on a webpage.  The size of the words is based on the frequency of the word. So, a word that appears ten times will be significantly bigger than a word that appears three times. Users also have the ability to customize the font and color of the words. However, they do not have the ability to customize the placement of the words. 

This is a great website to assess a student's knowledge of a book or concept. I've had students create a Wordle with important parts of a book such as the characters, setting, important plot words, etc. Students were informed that the size of the words would indicate it's importance in the book. Students could create a Wordle for a social studies, math, or science concept. We have also created Wordles for each student with characteristics that describe him/her and given them as Christmas presents.

There are some downfalls to this site. You can only save the finished product; you can't save any progress. Therefore, if your site freezes or you need to refresh the site for any reason, all of your work is lost. We have learned to type our text in Word and then copy and paste it into Wordle for this reason. You can only save your work as a PNG or as a PDF; you can't access it through a webpage. However, you own all the rights to any creation that you make.    

Web 2.0 Tool #5: TotSplash

TotSplash

Link: http://www.totsplash.com

Link to this example: http://www.totsplash.com/app

Description: TotSplash is a free graphic organizer software. It allows users to create mind maps that allow them to organize thoughts and ideas into an easy to use presentation. TotSplash allows you to add as many "tots" (thoughts) as you need. Users are able to images to go with each idea and a description if wanted. You can then show the "Splash" or your ideas. Basically, it takes your mind map and converts it into a Prezi-like presentation of your ideas. This website would be a great tool to use when prewriting and brainstorming a piece in writing. Students can get all their ideas organized and notice where they need more support or evidence. It is easy to add another chain or idea to the map and students can see exactly how everything is related.
However, there are many drawbacks to this site. First, since it is a free site, the owners are having financial difficulties keeping it up. As a result, the amount of storage space allowed for each user is minimal. My account let me save only one mind map. The site states that you can upload your presentations to YouTube and Twitter, but I was unable to find anywhere on the site to do this. The help center was not helpful at all. Therefore, there's no way for students to save their mind maps unless they take a screen shot of them or print the page. Overall, I think this is a quick and easy way for students to prewrite pieces or brainstorm ideas, but that's about where the capabilities of this software end.