Thing 2: Thoughts About Web 2.0

Using the web in the 21st century brings life to so many new areas and formats for ALL. For years we simply taught students/teachers how to safely browse the internet to research any given topic. Which resources will provide the best information? Don’t forget to gather graphics to support your work. Now we are working way beyond the “researching” internet into the “collaborating” internet. Today’s students strive for more; they won’t be engaged simply using web 1.0. Web 2.0 is where they need to be – it’s where we as educators need to take them.

Using the Web 2.0 resources effectively can be challenging. In the beginning we may simply explore the tools, try them out and maybe even flood our teaching with them. However with so many tools to choose from, we need to start slowly and find the right places to infuse them into our teaching.

With teachers, I see the natural gravity towards using a wiki, RSS feeds and more. However, at the elementary level, I’m still trying to find the “right” fit for these tools with my students. Any suggestions on where to begin?