Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 13/13.2.1

This article intends to address what exactly Web 2.0 Tools are and what exactly "Web 2.0" refers to, specifically in an educational realm. This article will also address why educators are addressing the issue of Web 2.0 tools, and why there is debate about the usefulness of these tools or lack there of. The article will briefly discuss opposing viewpoints from either side of the fence regarding using web 2.0 in the classroom. As we delve deeper into this idea of âweb 2.0â we will learn how we can use web 2.0 in the classroom.

What is Web 2.0?
Barsky describes, Web 2.0 is ultimately a social phenomenon of usersâ experience of the Web and is characterized by open communication, decentralization of authority, and freedom to share and re-use Web content (2006). Web 1.0 is best summed as the browsers, software, and applications as the most important part of the internet (O'Reilly 2005). Web 2.0 is the change in viewing people and collaboration as the biggest factor of the internet (O'Reilly 2005). The term Web 2.0 was coined and popularized by Tim OâReily (Voithofer, 2007). These technologies include but are not limited to blogs,podcasts and, wikipages (Alexander 2006). The term refers to the application of the technologies that were created for social uses in different arenas such as business and education. Web 2.0 refers to an evolution of usability of internet applications. Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts have all become extremely easy to produce due to the fact that to use them one no longer needs to understand intense html coding (Geraci 2007). Web 2.0 is collaborative in nature, and is a mindset that we are the integral part of these technologies, not the html, coding, and machines (Geraci, 2007). Web 2.0 also refers to micro content and the idea that now we can access many different items from one single source due to an open sharing among domains, and servers (Alexander 2006). Web 2.0 is a term that encases an idea of using internet technologies for socioeconomic concerns. The term is ambiguous web 2.0 is a new idea, however let the ambiguity assist us. I mention Blogs, Podcasts, and Wikis, however we can become more creative and apply this idea to other technologies. Some of those could be online chats, a digital television recording device, and even RSS feeds (really simple syndication).

Check out this video to get a visual idea of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 according to Michael Wesch

Why Web 2.0?
Why is there a push towards Web 2.0 in the classroom? Remember that web 2.0 in majority is an idea not just one thing (Alexander 2006). Web 2.0 refers to all of us and how we access our internet, our world. The idea now is to use web 2.0 to our advantage, specifically in school systems. The school of thought that is for the usage of Web 2.0 in the classroom believes that it is an asset to education. Web 2.0 is how âmillennials â are accessing the majority of their social world already (Voithofer, 2007). Another idea behind the push for usage in the classroom, is the fact that web 2.0 tools are what we use everyday to access our world (Voithofer 2007). The thought is that students need to be aware of these tools, and knowledgeable of how to use them correctly and responsibly. We use web 2.0 tools everyday, and we probably donât even notice. When we express ourselves on our blog pages, when listening to RSS feeds, when we upload photos to a Flickr account we are accessing web 2.0. Our world is changing; we are becoming more collaborative and more creative due to the enlarging capabilities of the technology around us.

According to the Digital Media and Learning Fact Sheet published by the MacArthur Foundation, which sponsors a $50 million program study focused on the successful integration of digital technologies into the nationâs education system, 87% of Americaâs teens have home access to the Internet, and most spend up to 8.5 daily involved with some form of digital technology. The sheet also sites information gathered from 2005 Kaisor Family Foundation survey that states âthe typical 8-18 year-old lives in a home with 3.6 CD or tape players, 3.5 TVs, 3.3 radios, 2.9 VCRs/DVD players, 2.1 video game consoles, and 1.5 computersâ Giving further proof to the inundation of digital media in the lives of U.S. youngsters, MacArthur cites that suggests that 64% of 8-18 year-olds are download music online, 32% have there own Webpage, 66% instant message; 39% own cell phones; 18% MP3 players; and 13% possess handheld technology with Internet connectivity, and 8 in every ten youth participate in online gaming.

Criticism There has been some debate about employing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. Some feel that Web 2.0 is merely a scheme to market âhot web-start upsâ (Geraci, 2007). Corporate businesses use the term "web 2.0" to target millennials to help publicize new web domains. Alexander notes,(web 2.0 tools) They are the creations of enthusiasts or business enterprises and do not necessarily embrace the culture of higher education (2006). Another problem presented by Web 2.0 is maintaining intellectual integrity as information is more easily shifted and moved from domain to domain (Alexander 2006).

In the classroom How can we as educators use this technology in our classrooms? The one true answer to this question is creativity. We need to embrace these technologies in our classroom, so that we can enhance our studentsâ access of knowledge, and teach them evaluation skills that will be crucial when using these new applications. Dodge defines, A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing (1997). Webquests are a great way to involve web 2.0 in the classroom and keep students on task with the content. Webquests can use several different web 2.0 tools to demonstrate knowledge of content. For example, the unit being studied could be the lifespan of a butterfly for third-grade science. The webquest assigns specific tasks to the students using applications found on the internet. One task may be to observe a video of the life-span of a monarch butterfly on that was downloaded from unitedstreaming. Another quest after the video could be posting a blog about oneâs interests in the life-span of the monarch butterfly.

Finding Web 2.0 Tools You Can Use in the Classroom

Dr. Bernie Dodge who works for the San Diego State University, Department of Educational Technology has created a Webquest.Org site that teaches how to create Webquests. In addition the site provides a search engine to find pre-designed Webquests you can use in your classroom that are grade level and subject specific (Dodge, 2007). Click on http://webquest.org/index.php to view the site.

In addition to Webquests, another cooperative Web 2.0 tool that you can use in your classroom is a blog. The classroom blog is a service created by David Warlick and the Landmark Project. It is free to all teachers working in an Educational Institution. It designed to let a teacher create a classroom blog that is completely secluded from the outside world. You will be able to enter your studentsâ names, and have the students write articles and reports that are posted for you and their peers to review and comment on (21st, 2008). To access the Landmark site, click on http://classblogmeister.com/index.php.

Another fun idea is video sharing. You and your students can download and uploading educational video from Google video (21st, 2008). Your class could create a video science project on the Monarch butterfly that could be uploaded to Google video. Producing something that a world-wide audience could view could be a huge motivator for your students. To access the Google video site, click on http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Monarch+Butterfly&sitesearch=.

Final Thoughts
Web 2.0 is best described as a new version of the internet that focuses on the web as a platform of usability; it also refers to viewing people and the partnership between them as the important part of the web, not machines and codes (O'Reilly 2005). The world is evolving and we are entering a new frontier where through use of technology (web 2.0 tools) we are able to become more collaborative, communicative and creative. We are embarking on a new era in which many social formalities are completed online. Education of responsible and appropriate use of these tools is a needed area in the classroom. The children of today and tomorrow will and are becoming more technology saturated. As educators it is our duty to teach our students integrity and make them accountable for themselves. We need to adapt to students learning capabilities, and using web 2.0 tools in our classrooms as teaching strategies is the best way to do this.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. Mrs. Christian's 6th grade science class is studying a unit about plants and animal cells. The students are assigned tasks of creating animal or plant cells out of found materials. The students will be taking part of a new project using web 2.0 tools. The class has been assigned a task of creating a video recording of themselves working on their cells and of themselves explaining steps to creating the animal or plant cell. After they have finished the recording they are to upload it onto the internet so other students may view their processes. What Web 2.0 tool are Mrs. Christian's students using to complete the task?

a. blogs

b. podcasts

c. RSS feeds

d. wikipages

2. Angela is taking a geology course in which she is working on a project about different types of rocks found in Virginia. The professor has given students a link to a website that has different tasks that students must complete using internet links posted on the website. Which choice best describes this type of project?

a.Teacher Assisted

b.Creative

c.Powerpoint Presentation

d.Webquest

3. Angela's professor wants to create a task asking students to keep an online journal of what rocks they have found and where they have found them. She needs to place a link on the website for students so they know what website to use for this task. Of the choices listed below which would be the best website to use for the task?

a.Blogger.com

b.Flickr.com

c.Myspace.com

d.Wikipedia.org

4. Angela's professor also wants to assign the students a task of documenting each rock with photos. She needs to place a link on the website for students so they know what website to use for this task. Of the choices listed below which would be the best website to use for the task?

a.Blogger.com

b.Flickr.com

c.Myspace.com

d.Wikipedia.org

5. Johnny gets up in the morning and checks his email on his pc, while he is doing that he is getting an RSS feed of the top news stories in his city. He has a widget on his desktop that automatically locates the weather forecast for his city for the day. He checks his myspace account to see if he has any new messages from friends. While he is doing that is ipod is plugged into his computer and uploading new songs he purchased the night before on Itunes. He also uploads his anthropology class lecture to listen to on his way to work. Johnny is has a very good command of Web 2.0 and he uses it for many of his social needs. Which choice best describes Johnny?

A. Anthropology Student

B. Ipod User

C. Nerd

D. Millennial

Answers
1.B. 2.D. 3.A. 4.B. 5.D.

Links to Web 2.0 Tools<
|web 2.0