A Taste of Web 2.0

I have only just begun learning about all of the tools that Web 2.0 has to offer. These tools promote collaboration, inquiry, connectivism, problem-solving, creativity, and much more! I had experience working with some of these tools prior to my Lit and Tech course such as Facebook and Photobucket. When I first began using Facebook, I did not understand what all the hype was about, however I quickly became hooked! I have friends and family in all different parts of the world, and Facebook enables me to stay connected with them and learn about new things that are happening in their life. I understand why so many students feel that their social-networking sites are an extension of who they are as individuals. I have used Photobucket and a program called Picnik in order to edit my photos and place them on to my social networking sites. Picnik is an awesome site that allows users to add texts to pictures and make them their own. One my favorite things to do is add lyrics to pictures that represent the image.

I have been introduced to several different Web 2.0 tools during Lit and Tech. One of my favorite tools is blogging. Blogging allows users to share their ideas in a creative way and stay connected with their peers. I could imagine that using blogs with students would give them a great sense of accomplishment because they are able to publish their work to the web. Some of my favorite 2.0 tools are those that allow users to collaborate. These include programs such as Google Docs, Webspiration, and Wikis. I have had an awesome experience with each of these programs throughout the semester. They have allowed me to collaborate evenly with my group members from group 5 in a much more user-friendly manner than I have experienced before. Recently, I created my first Podcast using podomatic. This was a very different experience for me and I found it a lot of fun. The world of web 2.0 has opened endless possibilities for teachers and their students. I look forward to working with more of them in the future!