Web 2.0 Tools & Mobile Applications
Implementing Mobile Apps and Tools in the Classroom
ClassDojo
One advantage of ClassDojo is that it can be used as a mobile app or on a computer, which makes the tool very user friendly. Parents, teachers, and students can access the tool from a home computer, school computer, or from a mobile device or tablet.
Another advantage of ClassDojo is that it is a wonderful way for parents to communicate with teachers. Teachers can connect if they share classes, so they can share student information and parent information to communicate. Teachers may also share class information with administrators.
One disadvantage of ClassDojo is that it sometimes can be misleading to parents if points have been taken away. Parents need to know the teacher's clear expectations on warning systems before points are taken away. If the system is not explained, parents may misunderstand the situaiton.
ClassDojo is a lot like the mobile tool Remind in the sense that it is a great way to communicate with parents. In comparison, ClassDojo has more features than Remind, such as the management system and the ability to send messages to parents individually.
Popplet
Popplet is a great tool that you can use in your classroom for many things. Popplet allows students to think outside the box and at the same time make learning visually fun for the student. Students can capture facts, thoughts and images to help create relationships between them.
Administrators can use the tool to generate ideas and plan projects. It can be used as a tool to interact with teachers and their ideas.
One disadvantage of using Popplet is you must pay for upgrades and the basic free trail does not allow students and administrators full creative ability on projects.
A similar tool is Lucidchart that allows creative diagrams to be made but is not as elementary friendly as Popplet.
Google Drive
An advantage of Google Drive is that users can share documents with whomever they want to have the ability to edit. Once the document is shared, it can be edited by users at the same time.
Another advantage of Google Drive is that it is compatible with the Microsoft Office programs. With this feature, documents can be downloaded and saved as a Microsoft document.
One disadvantage of Google Drive is that if one user shares a document, any information that was previously added could be edited or deleted and that information would be gone.
The Web 2.0 tool Google Drive is very similar to Microsoft Office. They have similar programs, including one for spreadsheets, one for presentations, and one for word documents. What is different about the two is the sharing factor and that any user can be added to the document and edit at the same time.