On this blog, we hope to provide you with an overview of many tools that are freely available to you on the internet. We will provide links to helpful Web 2.0 resources, examples of how we have used them, and suggestions of how you can incorporate these resources into your lessons.
This also will provide you with an opportunity to share your experiences with various Web 2.0 tools, and discuss with other teachers, ways to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and students using these tools.
For those of you unfamiliar with the term Web 2.0, it refers to the "second generation" of web design. It does not refer to any actual change in technology; it recognizes a change in design and usage. Originally, the web was used by individuals for gathering information from various sites. But, with Web 2.0, individuals can create content, share information, communicate, collaborate, and form online communities.
Web 2.0 provides almost limitless potential in the field of education. It allows teachers and students to bridge the gaps between grade levels, levels of ability, and subject areas. It also allows students in different classes, different schools, and even different countries to communicate and collaborate. It gives a needed voice to students who are uncomfortable or unable to communicate verbally in front of a class. It also allows students to share information with a focus on ideas rather than appearances or personalities.
Because of sites like YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook, students are accustomed to using technology purely for entertainment. Rather than dismissing Web 2.0 resources as a distraction or a nuisance, we should embrace their potential, and help our students see them as a powerful tool for learning through communication and collaboration.
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