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Free online service that allows easy communication with parents.

So you don't know what Web 2.0 means, simply put, it's the readability and writablitiy of the internet. It's not a new internet, it's all about the interactivity and productivity applications on the internet that provide you with 24/7 ability to produce, communicate, collaborate, share, store, network and learn. One of the best things about these Web 2.0 applications is that they are FREE!!

PBS Teachers Connect is an online community of teachers exchanging ideas, resources and instructional strategies on the integration of digital media and technology.

The features on this Web site enable educational communities to: * Browse primary sources that teachers have used with students. * Teach primary source-based learning experiences from the Teaching Materials Collection. * Design learning experiences using MyPortfolio. * Share discoveries with others through field-testing and publishing. * Use our professional development programs to uncover the breadth and depth of LOC.gov resources. * Learn through primary source-based online activities and samples of student projects. * Create digital documentaries using University of Virginia's Primary Access or make a handout for students.

A one-year, ongoing, job-embedded professional development opportunity built around emerging social Web technologies that connects: * 20 schools from around the state (or world) * 5 educators (administrators/teachers) from each school * 10-21st Century Fellows (Champions) selected from participating districts ...Finally, it prepares schools and districts to move forward in systemic ways after the one-year commitment ends by laying the groundwork for three and five-year community building project plans.

The mission of the International Children's Digital Library Foundation is to excite and inspire the world's children to become members of the global community - children who understand the value of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online.

At kitZu, you will find a collection of free, educational, copyright-friendly media resources. Students and teachers around the world can access pre-made collections, or "kits," of various digital assets - still images, background music, narratives, video and text. Each kit is built around a common theme, or curricular topic. For students, this becomes the construction paper of the 21st century --allowing them to create reports and projects filled with rich, immersive media for communicating their vision of whatever subjects they chose. AS they master the technology, they will progress from building projects with supplied materials to projects where they find or create their own resources -- a strategy that results in truly authentic assessment as measured by the projects produced.

The Genographic Project is a five-year effort to understand the human journey-where we came from and how we got to where we live today. This unprecedented effort will map humanity's genetic journey through the ages. If you choose to participate and add your data to the global research database, you'll help to delineate our common genetic tree, giving detailed shape to its many twigs and branches. Teachers can order Genographic Project Participation Kits at a special educator's discount, get free lesson plans related to the Genographic Project, and (coming soon) access other resources and discuss topics in forum boards.

Docstoc is the premier online community to find and share professional documents. Docstoc provides the platform for users and businesses to upload and share their documents with all the world, and serves as a vast repository of documents in variety of categories including legal, business, financial, technology, educational, and creative. All documents on docstoc can be easily searched, previewed and downloaded for free.

Folkstreams.net has two goals. One is to build a national preserve of hard-to-find documentary films about American folk or roots cultures. The other is to give them renewed life by streaming them on the internet. The films were produced by independent filmmakers in a golden age that began in the 1960s and was made possible by the development first of portable cameras and then capacity for synch sound. Their films focus on the culture, struggles, and arts of unnoticed Americans from many different regions and communities. The filmmakers were driven more by sheer engagement with the people and their traditions than by commercial hopes. Their films have unusual subjects, odd lengths, and talkers who do not speak "broadcast English." Although they won prizes at film festivals, were used in college classes, and occasionally were shown on PBS, they found few outlets in venues like theaters, video shops or commercial television. But they have permanent value. They come from the same intellectual movement that gave rise to American studies, regional and ethnic studies, the "new history," "performance theory," and investigation of tenacious cultural styles in phenomena like song, dance, storytelling, visual designs, and ceremonies.They also respond to the intense political and social ferment of the period.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Grants.gov is your source to FIND and APPLY for federal government grants. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is proud to be the managing partner for Grants.gov, an initiative that is having an unparalleled impact on the grant community. Learn more about Grants.gov and determine if you are eligible for grant opportunities offered on this site.

Welcome to ToonDoo spaces! This is where you can create a private virtual ToonDoo space for your educational institution, business organization, community or group. Publish, share and discuss your comic strips with your group members in a secure and private environment!

Web 2.0 is all about flexible communication. We've created a range of resources to make integration into your classroom easier.

Wikispacetutorials.com is a tutorial blog dedicated to wikispaces.com users who need to find answers to their wikispace questions. We provide video tutorials and written tutorials that cover the basics of wikispaces, as well as the advanced features. We are not affiliated with wikispaces.com. We just think they have a pretty good thing going, and we want to promote the use of their site, as well as help train the wikispaces.com community to get the most out of their wikispace. We hope that this site becomes a great resources for wikispace users all across the globe.

If you want to tell stories with video, you need to be able to communicate using the "language" of video. The Video Storytelling Guide will show you how! The Guide includes links to term definitions and to over 75 video examples that illustrate the major concepts presented.

And here's the original 'firestarter' on the Richardson blog - 2 Richardson's, 1 Ravitch, and a long host of commenters... Enjoy!

So, it is not a question of whether these technologies add value somehow to education, but the reverse, can education add value to the communications and information technologies of our present day world, and its future?

"The term personal learning environment (PLE) describes the tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms learners use to direct their own learning and pursue educational goals."

This is a MUST-SEE if you're a Microsoft school. Spend some time here to see what they have to offer - for free. A great alternative to Google Docs if that's an issue. It's the reason for the x in .docx. Watch the recorded webcasts to learn more.

"Provide students, alumni, faculty, and staff with mobile, desktop, and Web-based applications to help them collaborate in K-12 schools and on college campuses, and create a community that lasts a lifetime."