This list represents my thinking as of this point in the US School Year 2009 - 2010.... PLEASE join this wiki and add YOUR ideas! Please DO NOT edit out the contributions of others, simply add your examples or add your ideas to the Special Consideration Section at the bottom of this list! You can always email me if you have concerns, complaints or compliments...

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Gail - Gail@GailLovely.com

Gail Lovely
twitter: glovely
Skype: GailLovely

The Tenth Best Web 2.0 Tool for Early Learning!

Easy tool for recording sound and embedding into websites.

Link: http://www.vocaroo.com

Why it matters - easy integration of speech (or other sounds) is especially useful for young learners who may not be fluent or capable readers.

Examples:

Ninth Best Web 2.0 for Young Learners

Easy to use tool for gathering Creative Commons images for student use.

Link: http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/

Why it matters - teachers can search Creative Commons images and collect them to share safely with students. Provides safe access to images for use in student work. Images are critical to students, especially in this age group.

Eighth Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

Tool for creating on-line "books" which can be collaborative in nature.

link: http://storybird.com

Why it matters -Ease of collaboration with others. Wide variety of illustrations are available to use. Students work to create the stories for the images they choose.

Seventh Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

Interactive creative tool. Create "movies", scenes, and more.

Link: www.kerpoof.com

Why it matters - young learners can create a variety of products with appropriate elements (perspective, etc.) and learn beginning skills for future video and audio editing and more.

Sixth Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

Bookmarking tool which creates an easy, graphical representation of websites which can be navigated by non-readers and easily accessed by teachers and students.

Link: http://simplybox.com

Why it matters - ease of collection of good sites, ease of sharing and the ability for even young students to use these as access points to websites.

Example: http://simplybox.com/public/?id=27729

Fifth Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

link: http://www.skype.com

Why? COMMUNICATION and Connecting with the REAL world!

Video window:

Resources: Skype with Authors http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/

Fourth Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

link: http://edu.glogster.com

Why? Interactive "posters" in a private or public world... GREAT way to share information, ideas, and thoughts.

Why it matters - Easiest tool for combining multiple media in one on-line page. Simple tools for teacher and student comments on work.

Third Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

link: http://voicethread.com

Why? Meaningful discussion of images and concepts - through voice or through writing. Use of images to provoke thought and discussion.

Examples:

http://voicethread.com/#q.b80590.i411457

http://voicethread.com/#q.b119840.i725961

http://voicethread.com/#q.b4973.i38883

Second Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

Why? Versatility, powerfully engaging, authentic audience and authentic purpose.

A FEW examples…(I had a hard time choosing)

Kindergarten: http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=51141

Grade one: http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337

Grade Two: http://2mgems.blogspot.com/

Teacher Blogs: http://chalkdust101.wordpress.com/

More Class Blogs: http://starsofbroadway.blogspot.com/ and http://wwwmrshumphreys3d.blogspot.com/ and http://upperhouse.edublogs.org/

Tools:

Kidblog: www.kidblog.org

Blogger: www.blogger.com

Class Blogmeister: http://classblogmeister.com/index.php

21Classes: http://www.21classes.com/

Gaggle: https://www.gaggle.net

Yola: http://www.yola.com

AND, the number ONE, THE Best Web 2.0 Tool for Young Learners

Why? Versatility! They can be anything and do almost anything!

A few examples – focus on different uses

–https://monsterproject.wikispaces.com/Mrs.+Valentine%27s+2nd

–http://responsibilities.wikispaces.com/

–http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/

–http://room2-wiki6.wikispaces.com/

Tools:

–http://www.wetpaint.com

–http://pbworks.com/

–http://www.wikispaces.com

Podomatic

link: http://www.podomatic.com

Uses? Students reading spelling words (giving the test?), as avatars, narrators to blogs and wikis ...

Voki

link: http://www.voki.com

Uses? Students reading spelling words (giving the test?), as avatars, narrators to blogs and wikis ...


Create a Graph!
Link: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx
Why? Tool which makes data and graphing easy to demonstrate and easy to create... encourages polling and graphing and numbers all in one and it is reliable!


Yola

link: http://yola.com

Great, easy and beautiful websites - hosted here or on your own place...


Bubbl.us

Link: http://bubbl.us

Easy-to-use mind mapping online tool which allows for collaboration and saving and sharing of the "maps"


Animoto

Link: http://animoto.com

Cool tool for creating image-rich multimedia "shows" with jump cuts and flips etc.


And also:
Read The Words (it reads the words...): http://www.readthewords.com/
LetterPop (simple newsletter templates and tools): http://letterpop.com
Moourl (url shortener): http://moourl.com
Drop.io File Sharing and storage: http://drop.io
TinyPaste (share snippets of text via link): http://tinypaste.com/
Wordle (make word clouds): http://wordle.net
Jing: http://www.jingproject.com