Web 2.0 tool - Cosketch

Cosketch is the Web 2.0 tool that our group presented on. It is defined as a multi-user online whiteboard, which was designed to help you quickly visualize and share your ideas as images. There are several benefits of using this tool. Most noteworthy, It’s FREE. Also, it runs on all common browsers without needing installation. On using this, anything you paint will show up for all other users in the room in real time, and one click will save a sketch as an image for embedding on forums, documents, blogs, etc.
Different members in our group could find different ways to make use of Cosketch in teaching our subjects. In my case, I’m teaching English as a second language, so my purpose of using the tool is mainly to reinforce the visual aspect of the learning process. My learners will enrich their vocabulary; practice using the language in practical situations; study the cultures of English – speaking countries, as well as share ideas in groups – all by using Cosketch. For example, I would let the students draw pictures of the words or phrases they are learning and have their partners guess the meanings by putting in written words. At the end of the semester, they may have a portfolio of drawings that illustrate their vocabulary bank. This activity is easy, and can become interesting for children and adults alike as soon as the purposes of doing are all defined and agreed on.
Another application of using Cosketch is to have students specify different countries in the world using Google map, and provide additional information about the capital cities, nationalities along with unique cultural traits of those countries. They would then share this as pictures among the class. Similarly, I would let students choose the map of a certain area within their residence and practice giving directions to each other, so that they could gain some hands-on experience with speaking English.
Just a few ideas, to say that Cosketch can work quite effectively although some people may think its features are poorly developed especially in comparison with other comprehensive web tools. However, I personally think that simplicity is a good policy. The fact that learners of any age can start using this tool right away without spending time on following the instructions, and they can share it quickly on the web without further installing any supportive software has assured me that I’m going to incorporate this tool into my future classroom as a "change in the atmosphere" when students want something classic, apart from the "fancy" softwares that they've fallen too much into.