EMERGING TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Since the mid-1990s, the Internet
has dramatically changed the way people
learn and work by providing
instant access to vast amounts of information
on virtually any topic. Web 2.0
is making an even
greater impact
on education, turning
passive Internet
users into active
producers of content.

WHAT IS WEB 2.0?

 
Web 2.0 is not a new version of the Web, but rather a second generation of Web-based services that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users like never before.  Today, more and more people are becoming involved with Web 2.0 technology, such as wikis, blogs, social networking and other applications, devices and programs. 

WEB 2.0 IN EDUCATION

The biggest breakthrough of Web 2.0 applications and tools is their potential to support social learning.
Through participation, interaction, collaboration, creation and contribution, students can build content knowledge in ways that are limited only by
their imaginations—and by the dynamic groups of peers, teachers and experts in their learning networks. 

In the past three years there has also been a paradigm shift in the connection between technology and education. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogging, Wikis, Mobile Computing, Text/Instant Messaging, and Cloud Computing have created a generation of students who no longer seek out technology simply as a tool to do research, write papers, or even email. 


Throughout the year, I will be sharing some of the many emerging Web 2.0 tools available (for FREE) and discussing some of the ways they are being used in the Classroom 2.0.