Web 2.0 tools are something I use nearly every day in my
life. This week, I celebrated the Hindu festival Maha Shivarati and I
immediately went to Wikipedia to learn more about it. Wikipedia is great for
when anyone is looking for a broad understanding of a topic. While it is
certainly not the most reliable source, it can provide basic information that
is quick to access and easy to edit. Other Web 2.0 tools such as social
bookmarking are prevalent in today’s society. My two favorite social
bookmarking websites are Pinterest, which allows for the bookmarking of any
website with an image, and Hukkster, which allows me to bookmark clothes and
then notifies me when they are on sale. These websites help me organize my
favorite recipes and websites and then share them with my friends. I would probably
argue that I use Web 2.0 tools multiple times throughout the day, and they
clearly permeate many different aspects of my life.
Today’s education is impacted almost daily by Web 2.0 tools.
As I mentioned earlier, I often go to Wikipedia in order to learn more.
Students these days may not go to the library and use an encyclopedia, but they
will quickly turn to Wikipedia to gain knowledge about a topic. However, this
is highly questionable, since encyclopedias contain accurate and researched
information, while wiki websites such as Wikipedia allow for constant revision
by any user. Thus, teachers have to instruct their students on proper ways to
conduct academic research. However, wiki sites can also be highly useful to
teachers who seek to have multiple students contribute to the same website. As accessibility
to computers and internet increases, Web 2.0 tools will become more used in the
classroom.
Hi Valarie. I have used a few of these web 2.0 tools for a few years now and I have found them very helpful. I am not that great at searching and finding new ideas and tools to use all the time, so learning about a few more certainly has added to my collection of helpful tools! I love Pintrest. It is so user friendly and you have access to so many different ideas or information. I find a great amount of lesson ideas, decorations, fantastic recipes, its just endless what you have access to. I have been using a wiki for the past few years where I work to organize schedules for our Macbook and iPad carts. Teachers are able to go to the site and see the availability and reserve times they need. Web 2.0 tools are really helpful and will encourage collaboration and sharing of information between classmates, family or friends.
ReplyDelete--Amanda wright