Web 2.0

Tonight in my Introduction to Educational Technology classroom, we took an in-depth look at Web 2.0. We started off the class exploring the internet and youtube compiling a list of ten adjectives that describe what we think Web 2.0 is. Through this rendezvous of a scavenger hunt, I came across wikipedia and their definition of what Web 2.0 is. Wikipedia explains Web 2.0 as a perceived second generation of web development and design, that aims to facilitate communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications; such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. At the end of this activity we as a class compiled our list of adjectives in the front of the class. Words such as user friendly, new, creative, and interactive showed up.

Branching off of the the adjectives discussed in class and our research done through the video watching and web browsing, Web 2.0 offers several different technologies that a teacher could incorporate in the classroom. The majority of these Web 2.0 based technologies are interactive and allow some degree of creativity. Thinking ahead about my classroom and Web 2.0, I would incorporate blogging, interactive, internet based learning games, and classroom social communities in my students learning environment. Each variety of technology would allow my students to learn and interact not only with the material being taught, but with other students in the class via the internet.

As a teacher, I can use blogging in connection with a classroom specific website. I could post announcements or concerns for students and parents alike to read. In response to my posted information, either the students or the parents could reply with their thoughts about the posted sentences. This would allow students to see what they wrote to what the teacher asked, as well as what other students said.

Interactive, internet learning games can be useful in many ways with the classroom. They can provide entertainment for the student but also teach the student material as well. This is a non-threatening and comforting approach for students to learn. It tricks their minds into thinking they are "playing" a game but actually the are learn subconsciencely.

Social networks such as facebook and myspace all for individuals all over the world to communicate with one another via the internet. Keeping this concept in mind, I could create some form of classroom social networking protocol specifically for my classroom and my students. This would allow the students to create a profile and provide them with a sense of ownership. Not only that but it would provide a way for students to interact with fellow students and teachers, discussing either homework, classroom activities, or future plans alike.