CHAPTER 12 : WEB TOOLS AND RESOURCES

World Wide Web (WWW) - is an instructional tool is gaining positive feedbacks to teachers. Web-Based Instruction (WBI) uses the
web as a source for instructional information. WBI can be used anytime and anywhere to access instructional materials. This is also
helpful in a distance education setup.
World Wide Web – is merely a tool, as a chalkboard, overhead projector, or VCR. Tools don’t teach. When effectively implemented,
they assist in the learning process. If learning on the part of the students has been helped by the use of a tool, then a tool has been used
successfully. (Rosen, 1998)
WEB TOOLS
Web 1.0 (Read only Web)
Tim Berners-Lee, the first implementation of the web in 1999 representing the Web 1.0 could be considered as the “read-
only web” because the early web allowed the users to search for information and read it. Static websites are examples of this which do
not have active communication with the users. The main goal of the websites was to publish the information for anyone at any time
and establish an online presence.
Web 2.0 (Read-write web)
Web 2.0 was defined by Dale Dougherty in 2004 as a read-write web. Web 2.0 teachers and students have new ways of
creating, collaborating, and contributing (3Cs) of information. Tools are very easy to use and very accessible. Among these tools are
the presentation tools, video tools, and mobile tools.
Web 2 Teaching Tools
Web tools compiled by Alger that are useful for teachers as a material for doing instructional materials (Alger, 2016).
A. 3D Projects ABCya – is an online educational games aimed at primary school
Alice – is an innovative 3D programming environment. levels.
Blender – is an open source 3D content creation suite. Gnowledge – used to create, publish, share, and take tests,
Photosynth – is a Microsoft web application that takes your exercises and assignments.
photos, mashes them together and recreates a 3D scene out of Hot Potatoes – allows you to create interactive multiple-choice,
them that anyone can view and move around in. short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching, and
SketchUp – is a desktop application from Google that allows gap-fill exercise for the World Wide Web.
teachers or students to create and share stunning 3D models. Sharendipity – is a web based creativity suite where anyone can
B. Animation and Comic Strip build and deploy engaging and interactive games and oyher
Blabberize – it is used to animate pictures to make people, web applications.
animals or objects talk. I. Instructional Videos and Video Sharing
Comic Master – It allows you to easily create comics (graphic EmbedPlus – this websites allows you to add extra controls to
novels) online. Youtube embedded videos such as slow motion, zooming,
Go! Animate – used to make your own animated characters and chapters and annotations.
create animated comic strips and cartoons. mailVU – the ability to record a video email at any time, and
Voki – It allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and send it to recipients where they can open it at any time.
use them on your blog, profile and in email messages. TeacherTube – is like Youtube but is used for educational
C. Audio Editing Tools purposes. This site is moderated so content is suitable for
Audacity – used to record or install sounds to your computer and students.
edit them afterwards. It Edit and mix songs using audacity. Tubechop – It allows you to cut Youtube videos and share only
Audio Expert – is an online audio editor, file converter and the section that interests you.
sound recorder. J. Mind Mapping
UJAM – is a cloud-based platform that empowers everybody to Gliffy – Online diagram software. It is used to create
easily create new music and share it with friends. professional-looking flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, and
D. Bookmarking and Online Collaboration technical drwawings.
Delicious – allows you to access bookmarks from any computer Slstebox – is a tool for collaboratively creating mind maps and
and share them with colleagues, students or friends. organizational charts.
Google Docs – used to share and work document at the same Spicynodes – it allows you to create mindmaps or organizational
time, making collaboration simple. charts with bits of information – such as text, links, photos,
Pinterest – is an online pin board used to organize and share and other media-placed into “nodes,” which are then linked
trhings. together.
Stixy – used to create your own online bulletin boards by sticking Spider Scribe – is an online mind map creation service where
notes, appointments, files, photos on the screen for yourself you can add Word documents, images, maps and more.
or for other to see. K. Online Storage and Sharing
E. Blogging Dropbox – used to store, sync, and share files online.
Audioboo – is an audio-bogging site where you can send updates Flickr – It used for photo management and sharing application.
through the web, phone or its own iPhone app. Issuu – is a tool where students can upload almost any document
Tumblr – is a simplified blogging platform that allows you to format and create a virtual flipping book.
share anything online. Scribd – is a document sharing service that allows you to upload,
Wikispaces – used to create, edit or contribute to pages making it store and share almost any document format for easy viewing
a great collaborative tool. online.
WordPress – has a variety of templates and hundreds of features L. Photo Editing tools
that you can use. Aviary – These are online creation tools which allow you to
F. Classroom Innovation create, edit and manipulate images.
Khann Academy – used for students to watch video lessons ad Gimp – It is good alternative to Photoshop.
test their knowledge and progress. Photovisi – It is an online tool to create photo collages using
EdX – is an OpenCourseWare site that is a great tool for students tenplates.
to test their interest in a college major. PicturezLife – is an online image editor which also allows you to
G. Desktop Publishing Tools edit photos, create collages and animated GIFs.
Open Office – is the leading open-source office software suite M. Presentation Tools and Slideshows
for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics and 280 Slides – used to create PowerPoint style presentations online.
databases. GLogster – Create unique, media rich, interactive posters which
PDF Creator – is an open source desktop application that creates can be shared online or embedded into wikis.
PDF’s from any Windows program.
H. Games, Quizzes and Educational Activities
Myplick – It allows you to upload, embed and share Tagxedo – allows for greater customization of the final cloud
presentations online with the option of adding audio including its shape and file format output.
narration. Wordle – It allows users to create customizable word clouds
Slideshare – used to upload and share your PowerPoint from any text with the most prominent words highlighted via
presentations. size.
Smilebox – used to create e-cards, scrapbooks, slideshows, P. Timelines
invitations, collages and photoalbums from your photographs. Timeglider – allows you to create timelines which you can zoom
N. Social Networking in and out from and span from hours to centuries.
Facebook – used to connect with friends, family and other Timetoast – creates interactive timelines in minutes and share
people you know. them on the web.
Twiducate – is a micro-blogging service for schools. Q. Video Editing Tools
Twitter – is real- time micro-blogging service that connects Camstudio – is a desktop application that allows you to record
millions of people. your computer screen.
Udemy – It lets you to create online courses, upload Masher – is an online video editor that allows users to create by
presentations, videos, host live classroom sessions and write mixing together video clips, music tracks, and photos from
blog posts. their ownuploads or from their large resource library.
Voxopop – It is a bit like a message board but using voice rather WeVideo – is a simple web-based video editing tool that turns
than text. video projects from a huge time sink to an easy and fun
O. Tag (Word) Clouds experience.
Web 3.0 (The Semantic Web)
In 2006, the third generation of the Web or Web 3.0 was suggested by John Markoff of the New York Times. Web 3.0 is
considered as semantic web age according to Tim Berners Lee. Semantic web is a web that can demonstrate things in the approach
which computer can understand. The main important purpose of semantic web is to make the web readable by machines and not only
by humans (Sareh Aghaei, 2012).
Web 4.0 (Mobile Web)
Web 4.0 connects all devices in the real and virtual world in real-time.Since everything is mobile, web needed to adapt to its
surroundings. The web is now moving towards using artificial intelligence.
Web 5.0 – Open, Linked and Intelligent Web = Emotional Web
Web 5.0 is about the (emotional) interaction between humans and computers. The web here does not perceive the users feel
and emotions.
WEB RESOURCES
World Wide Web offers excellent resources that can be used for teaching, learning, researching and a lot more.
Categories of Web Resources
1. Online Tutorials – are designed for independent learning with well-integrated learning sources, explanatory segments,
and evaluation activities.
2. Instructional Resources –provide the components of a learning activity but leave the teacherresponsible for
implementation and evaluation.
3. Primary Sources – these are raw information sources not necessarily developed to meet educational needs.
Keeping Track of Web Resources
When searching for different web resources to use in teaching and learning, we need to create a list of resources for future references.
 Using Bookmarks – is a way of saving and keeping track of valuable resources.
 Adding a Bookmark – is done by clicking on the “Bookmark this Page” option or by going to bookmarks menu and
choosing Bookmark this page.
UTILIZATION OF WEB TOOLS AND WEB RESOURCES
There are a lot of resources in the web as mentioned in the Categories of Web Resources and the different Web Tools in Web
2.0 but how do we effectively utilize these tools and resources? In book by Gwen Solomon & Lynne Schrum about Web 2.0 How-to
for Educators (Schrum, 2014), they suggested ways on how to use these tools in the classroom.
Guidelines to Effective Utilization of the Web Tools and Resources
1. As a constant way to evaluate students’ performance
“One of the things teachers are encouraged to do all the time is use data to improve learning. Evaluation should be for learning, not of
learning – not summative after a unit, but as we go along,” Schrum said.
2. Create a personalized learning experience
Using the different web tools and resources, students can select which among these can better help achieve the learning objectives.
Students should be given a chance to learn at their pace using the chosen tools and resources.
3. Explore complex problems
The web tools and resources allow students and teachers to find solutions to different problems.
Other Web Tools that are Helpful for Teachers and Students
Digital Storytelling – is a web-based tool that allows users to construct and tell stories through voice, text, images, audio, and video.
Aside from the fact that the user can communicate and collaborate, this can also incorporate media thus enabling the user to present
the stories better and more interesting.
eBook – is a short for electronic book. Ebook is an electronic version of a book. It consists of text and graphics that can be read using
computers and mobile devices. The format of an e-book can be a PDF format or an EPUB format.
RSS – Really Simple Syndication is a method to deliver frequently updated information in a website. Usually, blogs or news
headlines syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to allow people to subscribe to it easily.
Social Bookmarking – allows you to add, store, and organize your bookmarks and share it to people who may be interested in the
same topic that you have bookmarked. The bookmarks here are referred to as “tags”, so the process of adding, storing, organizing, and
sharing the tags is called “tagging”. Websites that are used for social bookmarking are del.icio.us, Flickr and Pinterest.
Podcast – is syndicated audio, or video made available in the Web for downloading where subscribed can receive automatically.
Podcast comes from the two words: Pod meaning “Ipod” and cast meaning “broadcast” produced by traditional media such as radio
and television or by individuals passionate about a particular subject.
Vodcast – Vodcast or (video-on-demand casting), works the same way as that of Podcast with the addition of a video. Users will have
to subscribe to the feed to receive updates and will to set automatic download to their computer when new content becomes available.