Web+2.0

Technology is constantly growing and changing. Our technology with the web started out just as information but has grown and changed into what it is today. Currently we are in the interactive age of the web. This means that we are utilizing the ability to communicate through the web. Web 1.0 allowed people to access information through the internet, but it was on a read only basis. As time has passed Web 2.0 has been created. Web 2.0 allows people to get that same information, but now they have the ability to interact on the web. A great example of Web 2.0 at use is Facebook. Facebook is a social networking site that many around the world use every day. On Facebook users can not only create and maintain their own profile, but they can interact with others and create new relationships. Web 2.0 is a great tool for teachers to use because it allows them to engage their students academically through social and media interaction via the web.  The internet is filled with thousands of programs and useful teaching tools for teachers. The technology in the classroom greatly increases the positive response from the children in the class. This positive not only benefits the student’s academics, but it allows the teacher to ensure all students are being taught. Out of all the available programs useful to teachers and students I would like to review Prezi, Podcasting, Blogger, PBWorks, and Bookr. Each of these programs has useful tools for a classroom. Prezi is much like Microsoft’s Power Point, but it takes it to the next step. Instead of a boring slideshow filled with bullet points, Prezi allows the user to utilize a large workspace. This would be a great tool for any classroom, because it would engage the student into creating a workspace that would engage other students. Students would understand the concept behind creating these large work spaces as an educational benefit, because it would allow the student to use their imagination to the full extent. The ability to move the text boxes and create an engaging presentation would ensure that the students are more focused in class. I would love to use this program in my class, because I know that the students would be very interested and engaged in the curriculum. Podcasting is another Web 2.0 tool that is very beneficial to the classroom. Teacher can use this program to create online lectures and special instructions to engage the students online. This would also be beneficial to the students who missed class and need to hear the lecture. Recording an audio clip and up loading it to the internet allows the user to socially engage with others through education. As a teacher I would find this Web 2.0 program to be useful in that it would allow me to ensure that all students are informed and understand the assignment. It would be a useful tool to engage students in online leaning. This program would also allow parents to listen and understand what their child is learning at school. Blogger is like Podcasting but without the audio. Blogger is a Web 2.0 tool that allows the user to create a page filled with any information they want. The page can be filled with a day’s worth of material. Using a blog can engage students to read and respond via the internet. On blog users have the ability to open up a discussion about their specific topic they have written about. This is a tool that would benefit the classroom, because it would involve the students with online learning. I would use this program to allow students to study a certain subject and be able to respond and create sub topics for discussion online. PBWorks is a Web 2.0 tool that encourages team work. This tool would be very beneficial to any classroom. I especially like how students would be able to upload and edit documents all online. This tool would be very beneficial for students that are engaging in group work. Instead of having to meet up to do group project students now have the ability to do the project all online. They can discuss their project and edit it all online together. Documents can be uploaded to this site and be viewed and edited by the selected few. I would find this tool to be very useful in my classroom because it would engage all the students inside of a group during a project. Bookr is a fascinating program that allows the user to create online electronic books. These books are even capable of page turning transitions. This program would be great inside a classroom because it would allow kids to create books for projects and assignments. The nice this about Bookr is everything is online and the user is able to access the site from anywhere in the world. This kind of technology allows anyone to be artistic. The tools available on this site allow the user to create anything, and it would be an enjoying project for all the students to engage in. As time passes technology continues to grow. Without the implantation of Web 1.0 we would never have the ability to have Web 2.0. Web 1.0 gave users tons of information right at home with a computer, but Web 2.0 has changed all of that for good. Web 2.0 is changing education before our eyes. It is engaging students inside of classrooms, and allowing students to use the technology they are already good at. The academic possibilities with web 2.0 are endless, and if we start using these tools in the classroom students will be more engaged.