Web+2.0

“Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an “architecture of participation,” and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.” Generally speaking, Web 2.0 provides people a platform for communication, interaction, and collaboration through online resources and services. With Web 2.0, applications, resources, and services are not limited to only one computer. People can use those applications, resources, and services anywhere and anytime if there is Internet access.

Web 2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 is an incredible improvement on the Internet, 2- way or interactive communication makes the internet a valuable tool for teaching and learning in a multitude of areas. Teaching with Web 2.0 provides for unlimited possibilities to present information on a variety of subjects. The tools available to the teacher are also almost unlimited. One of the tools I came across was Prezi, [], this is a presentation planning tool that allows the user to integrate many different forms of media into one complete and interesting presentation. The Prezi program allows a teacher to use text to link different sections of a presentation together, and allows linking pictures, or video into a seamless lesson. Another feature of the program is the ease at which the presentation can be changed or modified including the layout or flow of the show. This would allow one main presentation to be simply modified for multiple audiences with different learning needs or goals. Using the Prezi program provides a couple of interesting features that will help both students and teachers alike, the teacher can use the program in the classroom to teach a lesson, and the students could than have access to that same lesson at home to either review or catch-up if they miss a class. This does not, I think, replace the teacher but rather it would enhance the teacher’s ability to make sure all students receive the information and allow a student that needs more time, to absorb the material, that time outside the traditional classroom setting Blogger is another tool that I found to be very interesting. [|http://www.blogger.com] presents numerous possibilities for the teacher to provide for an interactive learning environment. A teacher can post assignments and provide links to the information or reading. Another interesting and fun use would be to post a question and then allow students to post their answers allowing comment and analysis from their classmates. This kind of use would require vigilant monitoring by the teacher but, I think, would provide for some very interesting learning opportunities. The Blogger program would help marry technology in education into what is a normal everyday activity in today’s student’s lives. The Web 2.0 tool that I found that I thought had the most potential was the cool tools for school web site, http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/, and this sight had multiple tools that a teacher can very easily use and integrate into their classrooms. The first tool that I thought would be useful was the widget maker. I would use the widget maker in many different ways, but what I think would be very helpful when teaching Social Studies would be to have a weather widget for whatever part of the world you are discussing, instant access to the current weather of the region would be great for comparison and for real time demonstration of the area being discussed. Other widgets could be placed into lessons where appropriate and the ease of use is incredible. Mapskip is a map program that would be incredibly useful in a geography course, locating a place first globally then regionally and finally up close. You can modify the maps to show various points of interest or geographical features that you feel are important to the lesson. The old saying that “A picture is worth a thousand words” is especially true when discussing geography. Mapskip is easy to use and can be set up to be interactive as students or teacher are travelling during school breaks or holiday periods. Classmates could post their location on a class winter break map and attach appropriate pictures of historic or geographic locations. I think this would be a very good way to foster interest in geography. Another way to use this program would be to link it with current events around the world, instead of just talking about “genocide in Rwanda” we could quickly pull up a map of Africa and find Rwanda and talk about the importance of the geography to the crisis. The third and final tool I would like to discuss on the cool tools for school website is the photo tool. This tool provides access to many slideshow and photo programs. The photo program that I found very easy to use was photo show, []. This program allows you to easily group photos and slides for viewing. You can also put these photos together with music and make a very interesting presentation. Cool tools for school are part of the wikispaces site and are easily integrated into a wikispaces page. A teacher could make a specific wiki page for each of his/her classes and then the students would have easy access to the entire semester plan. This accessibility would really help a student that was ill or had a family emergency. This would also allow a teacher to easily update and make changes as needed. Web 2.0 tools seem to be very user friendly and are very helpful in keeping the classroom up to speed with the rest of society.