Course Conlusion

In the process of exploring various web 2.0 tools, I can get access to the web 2.0 world which tightly related to the Classroom 2.0, a future version of traditional classroom. I can see tons of possibilities in teaching and learning. With web 2.0 communication tools, I can chat with my students, group members,colleagues, or classmates online although we may live far away from each other. On the platform provided by web 2.0 tools, people have maximum freedom to complete the tasks without having to spend a lot of time on commute. With web 2.0 collaboration tools, people can work as a team and finish a task together, exchanging opinions, and reaching the agreement. With web 2.0 critical thinking/ problem solving tools, people have the chances to create different type of file and figure out the resolutions to the problem. With the web 2.0 productivity tool, we can use online container to organize the documents and let them serve our needs in the study or work. We will not be worried about the lost of the files and the small flash drive which could be lost anywhere. With the web 2.0 presentation tools, presentations will become interesting. We can different ways to illustrate our thoughts and deliver the information to the audiences.

According to Tim O'Reilly's definition of web 2.0, web 2.0 allows users having rich experiences because it provides a new way to process the information compared to the traditional ways. In CUIN7376, I had the opportunities to experience this new way and understood the attraction of the web 2.0 tools. For me, I learned the basic categories of the web 2.0 tools and how to search the new web 2.0 tools. The most important point is that I had the chances to try these tools and understood the uses of the tools. I experienced that exciting moments that I found the "prefect" tools for Chinese language classroom. I also experienced the moments of confusion because the tool is not good in my classroom or some technical difficulties.

I feel so glad that I can have this course and learned so much in web 2.0 area. I am sure my journey in web 2.0 will continue and I am ready to experience more!

Web 2.0 tools in Foreign language classroom

Review of LiveBinder

Name of the tool: LiveBinder

URL:http://livebinders.com

Type of the tool: Productivity Tool

General Impression of LiveBinder.

Live Binder is a free online binder which allows users to upload PDF file, media file and add webpages in it. It is easy-to-use and not necessary to take any training courses. After collecting the materials in LiveBinder, we can get access to the binder anytime when we have the internet connection and update the information as we need. As a web 2.0 tool, LiveBinder can be shared to other people, or embedded in the webpages.

How to use it?

1. Sign-up

Click the "Sign Up" button on the homepage of the LiveBinder.

According to the instruction, enter the information in this page:

2. Enter the personal account

After you successfully signed up in the website, you will enter you account. In your account, you will see your first binder which contains tutorial and necessary help information in it. Take a look at it, then you will know how to use it.

3. Read the instruction in "Your first binder"

Click your first Binder, you will enter the edit page. There are 6 pages of how to create and use binder provided in this binder. Please read the pages before your work.

4. Start a new binder

1) Create a new binder

In your account, click "Create Binder" it will ask you to enter the general information of the binder: name, description, tags, categories, public or private, access key. If you are not very sure about these information, just enter a rough one. You will be able to change it later in the editing menu. The LiveBinder also asks you whether you want to use Google search to fill the binder. If you want to try it, or if your binder is just a collection of the search, you can use this function. It will give you a binder with different pages of results that searched by your key words in Google.

To start a new binder, you need to figure out which kind of content you want to display in your binder and use the "Edit Menu" to start creating.

2) Upload file

Click "Edit Menu" to display the options of editing in the lower part of the page. If you want to upload a file to the binder, click the "Upload file" tag of the menu and choose file from the computer. Then click "Upload". * LiveBinder can only show the PDF file in the binder. .doc won't show up in the page. So if you want to upload a word file, please save that file into PDF format and then upload it.

This is the uploaded PDF file looked like.

3) Enter the text directly in the page.

Click "Page Layout" tag and select the layout you want to arrange the content. Then you can start enter the text.

4) Insert Media:

LiveBinder also support the media file in the page. Click the "Insertt Media" tag. You will find options: Flickr Image, YouTube Video, Delicious Bookmarks, All my Tags. These formats are the ones that LiveBinder support. If you have the resources from these website, go ahead and use it.

5) Set Binder Properties:

Set the Title, Description, Tags, Category, Access, Key, Author name, color. Author name, Title, Description, Tags and Category are general information of the binder. Access is the privacy setting of the binder: private or public, copyable or non-copyable. Key is for the private use. When you send the link of the binder to you audience, it will ask the audience to enter the key* in order to see the binder. Color is the skin of the binder. Choose your favorite color for you binders.

*LiveBinder allows users to have multiple keys because users can see key when they enter the private binder. So it may be better to have multi-keys. Use comma to separate the keys.

5. Share the binder:

When you finished creating and editing, you are ready to share it. LiveBinder provides different ways for you to share the binder: email, collaborate, embed, make a copy, delete it, copy it and so on.

1) Email it

2) Add collaborators

3) Show Details

If yo click "Show Details", you will see all the general information that you entered in the previous steps will be shown in the right side of the page.

4) Get the embed code

5) Make a copy

Click this option from the list. You will see a copy of the current binder appeared in the acount.

6) Edit it

Enter the edit page, if you click this option.

7) Present

There will be a new window showing the binder. You will have an idea of what is your binder looked like.

8) Delete

Be careful to use this function.

Educational Uses of LiveBinder:

Live binder is an amazing tool that I have ever tried. At first, I just impressed by the idea—online binder. But when I started trying it, I realized it is awesome, especially in education.

As the educators, we don’t need to take the thick binder with us to go to the classroom or go home. All the activities of collecting materials, news, webpages, and all other kinds of stuff can be done online. And we just need to open our online binder when using it in the classroom.

Livebinder allows us to add webpage into the binder. The more useful point is that it is not just a snapshot of the webpage. It is the real webpage, you can click the hotlinks on the page. In this aspect, Livebinder works as a online bookmark collections, but much better than the bookmarks in that we can see the whole page in the binder. After creating the binder, we can share the binder in webpage and anywhere we want.

It is a very cool tool in Chinese language classroom. When learning Chinese language, there are not only the words, tones, spelling, writing that need to be provided to the students, but also some background history, stories and fables, exercises, videos, songs, drama which are interesting for students to extend their knowledge.

So in every class, I can collect all the relative materials in a binder and use in the classroom. After class, I can share the binder with students and parents so that they can read, and watch when they have some time. It will be a pretty good way that parents can help their children in studying Chinese.

Advantages of LiveBinder:

1. No Need to take the binder with us any more

2. Useful collections of the resources

3. Easy to share

4. Convenient to update

5. Support media file

Disadvantages:

1. Like other web 2.0 tools, it depends on internet connection;

2. Have to install the “LiveBinder It” bookmark tool;

3. When pages became more and more, it is not so easy to find the page quickly;

4. The color is so simple that it seems we do not have so many unique choices for our binder.

5. It can only support some format.

I believe LiveBinder will become a very good tool for us in our lives and classrooms. We can use it as personal online binder to collect travel information, educational resources, or collections of other online resources. We can group the different types of recourses and create several different binders for different purposes.

Personal Learning Network

Here is a picture illustrating my personal learning network. The whole network contains 8 sections: Blog, chat, collaboration, networking, search/bookmark, audio/video, presentation/album, blog/miniblog. This is my "world".

Review of Google Building Maker and SketchUp

I was attracted by building maker in Googlelab, because people, especially people without any background as a designer, can use the picture provided by google to make a 3D model of a building in Google Earth. All the process only takes several minutes. If your computer has Google SketchUp in it, you can use SketchUp to do more things in a more professional way.

Building Maker:

URL: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwh/buildingmaker.html

Building Maker is a tool allowed users to create 3D model for buildings in Google Earth. After got the models, users can view the building in Google Earth. It is interesting to "create" a city, disctrict, a school, in Google Earth through Googl Building Maker.

Preparation:

You will need to install the Google Earth Plugin in your local computer or laptop. When you click "Try Building Maker", it will show a pop-up reminder to help you download the plugin. After installed the plugin successfully, it will start automatically. And then follow the steps in the "Take a Tour of Building Maker." You will have your own 3-D building in Google Earth after several clicks.


How to use it:

Here are the steps that I took to make a 3-D building of Welcome Center in UH. Take a look you will see how easy it is.

• Choose the country, city and area by scroll the mouse or enter the name in the box on top of the map.
  

• Select the building you want to create.

• This the most important step in Building Maker. Use the 3-d red rectangle box to align the building in the map. Adjust the angles according to the real situation of the building. And repeat this step in different pictures which were provided in the left side bar.

• After adjusting the model, you can review it in different angle by clicking the pictures on the left side of the screen.

• Enter the name, description, or address of the building.

• When you finished modeling, you can download it or view it in Google Earth.

The Official Tutorial Video about Building Maker:



Building Maker is a very good tool that can be used in classroom. It improve students' ability of viewing and having a sense of 3D objects which will be very important in the courses, such as geometry, geology, art and so on. The educators can use this easy tool to engage students.

Advantages:

1. Easy to use. I don't have any 3D design background. But when I tried Building Maker, I like it so much and have fun with it. It is not necessary to have any formal training. You can see the above picture and watch the video. These materials are enough for you to create a 3D model through Building Maker in Google Earth.
2. Get the result immediately. After you created the model, you can view it in Google Earth. You will have a feeling of sharing it in a very large population.

Disadvantages:

1. Have to download the plugin.
2. Depend on speed of internet connection. I can only do this in university. My home internet connection is too slow to run Google earth.
3. Need a Google account.

Google SketchUp

URL: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwh/buildingmaker.html

Compared to the Building Maker, when I tried SketchUp, I fell in love with it. If I describe the Building Maker as a good tool to play with when you want to share some 3D models in the Google Earth. Then I will describe the SkethUp as a magic tool that I can us to create all kinds of 3D shapes, buildings, furniture or anything you want in several minutes. Before tried SketchUp, I have no experience in creating 3D objects. But now I can do it. It is really exciting!

This is the product I designed by following the tutorial video. It may not be necessary to include such a detailed process of deigning this chair here, because the tutorial said it all. I am sure it is not so difficult as you thought.


Here is a series of Tutorial video of SketchUp.

http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/training/videos/new_to_gsu.html

I think SketchUp will be a great tool for students who are interested in designing. Give them opportunity to start their design and have fun in the process of designing. But obviously, SketchUp is more suitable for older students, such as high school level or above. With its functions and unlimited possibilities, people can use it in different ways to design 3D objects.

I am still a learner in using SketchUp. Feel free to leave your comments about your experiences of using this software, or post your works here. Thanks for being here.

The sample of using Draw Anywhere

Here is a sample video of using Draw Anywhere. In the video, I drew a diagram to use in the Chinese language course.

Review of Draw Anywhere

Name of the tool: Draw Anywhere
URL: http://www.drawanywhere.com/
Category: Critical thinking and problem solving

General impression of Draw Anywhere

Draw Anywhere is an online tool that allow users to draw different kind of flowcharts and diagrams, modifying the diagram anywhere as necessary, and sharing the diagrams. All the operations are in the account within Draw Anywhere which means no software is needed to download. All you need is a web browser with Flash player, such as Internet Explorer. Draw Anywhere provides a 30 days free trial account and two kinds of paid account: 10-User Premium for business users and Single User Premium for home users.

How to use Draw Anywhere

This is the main page of the Draw Anywhere. As you can see the right side of the page is the user "log-in" box for the existing users, "Sign up" button and the "Watch Demo" button for the new users. The left side of the page is the sample album of the diagram. If you click on the diagram, it will bring you to the public diagrams which allow you to have a general impression of the kinds of the diagrams Draw Anywhere can complete.

Below the album, you will find the button "Try now"

Click this button, you will enter the interactive demo page which allow you to try the functions and experience the Draw Anywhere. This is the page you will see after clicked the "Try now" button. The top tool bar offers the basic editing tools for you to save, export as a PDF file, cut, copy, paste, delete, undo, redo, print, zoom in, zoom out. You can choose the functions from the "File", "Edit", "Options", "team" on the left side. You can also choose the tools directly from the little function box in the middle part. The right part contains the return to the mouse function, add text, add a circle, add a box, right angled connector and straight line connector.


The shapes and images are presented in different categories on the left side of the page. As you can see, Draw Anywhere provides basic shapes, Flowchart shapes, Work Flow diagram, Network Objects, Office Layout, Sign & Symbols. Cliparts. the premium user can upload their own images in "My image". But in free trial version, you do not have this option.

The middle of the screen is the "whiteboard" for you to design your diagram.

The right side of the page is the property of the shape, you can customize the color, style, text, font, size, and position of the shapes in your diagram.




















In fact, the interface of the demo page is same as that you will see in your account. Except one thing, that is, it will ask you whether you want to upgrade to a premium account every time you enter your account.

Click New Diagram if you want to start a new one. If your account contains several diagram, they will be shown in this box. You can click the one you want to use or edit. If you start a new diagram, the first step is to set the dimension of the diagram.

The following steps will be construct a new diagram using the functions mentioned in the demo.

Educational Uses of Draw Anywhere

Draw Anywhere provides the maximum felxibility of using it in different environment to meet the needs of different kinds of users. In education area, Draw Anywhere is good to create diagram for different subjects, such as storyboard in literature, the relationship of the concept in math course and secience curse and so forth.

The diagram created in Draw Anywhere can be easily embedded into website, blog using the provided code. You can find this function in File--export as an image--for web. It will tell you how to do with the code or direct links.
Considering the various kinds of shapes provided, Draw Anywhere can be a pretty good tool in the educational environment. These are the diagrams created by using Draw Anywhere. Take a look and you will get the idea.



Here is the link to official video tour of the Draw Anywhere.
http://www.drawanywhere.com/videotour.aspx

The Advantages of Draw Anywhere
1. Easy to use. Draw Anywhere provides interactive demo for the users to try and practice before they register an account.
2. It suport different shapes and allow users to upload their own images.
3. The final picture can be embedded into website and blog.

The disadvantages of Draw Anywhere
It is not free! This is the most drawback of Draw Anywhere. The free account is only 30 days and it will ask you whether you want to upgrade every time you open the account.

Like I said before, I like free tools and enjoy the free service. Most of the time, the free service is pretty cool and enough for us to experience and use in our work and lives. I believe there are lots of options for us to choose and use. Draw Anywhere is only one of them. It is cool, but it is not free. Although the price is not the most important element we want to take into account when choosing a tool, the price is crucial enough in that we have countless options other than this one. So enjoy your finding and use them.