Swivel: Data meets Web 2.0

Some of you may already be familiar with the CTAP Middle School Math Project, which matches web resources with the chapters in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade state adopted texts and the California Content Standards. These resources become available to teachers precisely when they need them and offer alternative methods of teaching and learning through videos, online tutorials, manipulatives and games.

In the differentiated instruction portion of this site, we cover spreadsheets and graphs, including all of the usual favorites - Create A Graph, Google Spreadsheets and Zoho Sheets. Today, I have a new favorite, Swivel.

What would happen if you were to add a social networking element to graphing? Data junkies unite -- Swivel does just that!

Here, individuals can explore and compare datasets, graphs and charts on every topic in the universe, from baseball scores to wine consumption. There are even charts quantifying the size of the Greek Army at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Best of all, Swivel is dynamic. Upload your own data or create subsets from other user data. You can also offer interpretations of data, using the comments feature. Change the view from line graph to pie chart etc. or dress up your graph with a photo background using a feature that the site hosts call "bling." Never before has the urge to number crunch been so much fun. Imagine the possibilities for your students!
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