The document introduces several Web 2.0 tools that can be used to support reading and writing for grade 2 students, while developing their technology literacy skills. It provides the URLs and brief descriptions of Padlet (a digital corkboard), Big Huge Labs (which has creation tools like motivators and trading cards), Comic Creator and CartoonMaker (both for creating comics and cartoons), My StoryMaker (for digital storytelling), 30 Second StoryMaker (for creating short stories in under a minute), and Voki and Vocaroo (which allow creating talking avatars or recordings to "read" stories). The document encourages trying out the tools and provides ideas and examples for integrating them into the classroom curriculum.

1. +
30 second
storymaker
Web 2.0 Tools For Grade 2
Easy-Peasy sites to
support reading and writing
while developing tech literacy skills
Ellen Robertson ,facilitator

2. +
Padlet
http://padlet.com/
Try it as a student: http://padlet.com/erobertson/jqa-holiday
 It’s a digital corkboard
 Don’t even have to sign up (but if you do sign up for a free
account you can save all your padlet boards)
 Teachers can use it for:
Story starters, brainstorming, word of the day, whole class
collaboration
 Make one for your class to give them writing and keyboarding
practice
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

3. +
Big HUGE Labs
http://bighugelabs.com/
 Lots of “creation” tools here but look at MOTIVATOR and TRADING CARD
and POCKET ALBUM tools for ELA activities.
 Try it out:
 Create a MOTIVATOR poster as an exemplar of an activity you would
have your students do
 Create an autobiographical TRADING CARD: take your photo using the
PhotoBooth application on your Mac Air. Title it with your name. Sub-title it
“all about me”. Fill in the autobiographical poem outline as your
description—be brief!
 Use POCKET ALBUM to create a foldable book. First use PowerPoint to
create 8 slides of information. Export as jpg. Upload your 8 slides as your
“photos”
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

4. +
Comic Creator
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/
 VERY simple cartoon maker—great for students explaining a
concept, formative assessments, acting as a character from a
story
 You can print it out or save it as a PDF file
 You try it: Create a two pane comic. One character in the first
pane and a different in the second frame. Have each character
introduce themselves, telling the other how they are feeling
today.
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

5. +
CartoonMaker
http://www.cambridgeenglishonline.com/Cartoon_Maker/CM/
 A bit more sophisticated than Comic Creator. Great for story
starters and creative writing, students explaining a concept,
formative assessments.
 You try it: Create a character description. Place your character
in an appropriate setting. Add a speech bubble where they
introduce themselves. Then add a caption in which you
describe them (what the character is like, what they like to do,
what they like to eat ,where they live etc)
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

6. +
My StoryMaker
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/
 Great for creative writing (from Carnegie Mellon Institute)
 children select and control characters and objects as they use them to build a
story.
 A title and then sentences are created for them based on the characters and
objects they have selected for their story.
 The automatic creation of words and sentences makes this Web 2.0 teaching
tool a great digital storytelling site for young children not yet adept at spelling
and writing sentences.
 Stories can be saved and printed in a .pdf format.
 You try---create the silliest story you can and save it as a PDF file.
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

7. +
Readathon
30 Second StoryMaker
http://www.readathon.org/you-are-a-30-second-author/
 Use Storymaker to create an original short story in less than a
minute.
 Like Mad Libs
 Lends itself to working in groups---one child creates and then the
other reads the results.
 Save results by taking a screen shot (on a Mac click the shift-command-
4 sequence of keys).
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?

8. +
Voki and Vocaroo
http://www.voki.com/create.php
http://vocaroo.com/
Have robots read your story to you!
What are your ideas for use in your curriculum?