Integrate Web 2.0 in the Classroom (Blogs, Wikis, Social Media)  

Web 2.0 technologies support constructivist educational practices that promote active and experiential learning.

We know.  What exactly does it mean?  At its core, Web 2.0 just refers to a trend among sites and applications to promote sharing and interoperability.  MIT professor Tim Berners-Lee, one of the Web’s chief architects, once said that term Web 2.0 is just a bit of jargon, but he also noted that its spirit of connecting people and furthering the exchange of information between them is “what the Web was supposed to be all along.”

21st-century learners engaged with Web 2.0 technologies are immersed in new modes of communication, participation, networking and sharing information. The ability to navigate these environments is a crucial skill in the 21st Century, and one that can lead to transformative experiences through self-directed learning.  This guide offers suggestions for practical and immersive experience in collaborating on content, organizing data, sharing media, and developing curricula through new communication tools, social networking applications and even virtual online worlds.

Examples of Web 2.0 Applications

• Blogs/Micro-blogs (such as twitter)
• Wikis
• Instant Messengers
• Social Networks (Facebook, MySpace, etc)
• ‘Cloud’ computing and bookmarking
• RSS feeds

This video explores the changes in the way we find, store, create, critique, and share information. This video was created as a conversation starter, and works especially well when brainstorming with people about the near future and the skills needed in order to harness, evaluate, and create information effectively.

Additional videos by Michael Wesch can be found at Digital Ethnography@Kansas State University