Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2003 and popularized by the first Web 2.0 conference in 2004, refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. O'Reilly Media titled a series of conferences around the phrase, and it has since become widely adopted .
Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to Web technical specifications, but to changes in the ways systems developers have used the web platform. According to Tim O'Reilly, "Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform." - Wikipedia A more technical explanation can be found here from O'reilly and Associates.
OK but how does this tie into RSS, SOA, RIA, and AJAX. Well these are simply the terms and technology that make Web 2.0 come to life.
As an educator why should I care about this stuff and how could it benefit my learning environment?
Before we delve deeper, let me ask a few questions. Would you like to see your educational environment grow outside of its physical boundaries? Develop a digital space where your students embrace your subject matter with others void of time restraints and physical location? A space where group discussions occur without your presence? Would these possibilities foster you to care about this emerging technology? These concepts are not new to most educators however the appeal to embrace this technology by the digital natives has matured.
As an educator this gives you an opportunity to really connect with your students and close the digital divide that separates so many teachers from their students. The biggest change is not in the technology it is simply a social change that is empowering people to utilize the web for collaborative sharing environments. Web 2.0 is not about the buzz of these new technologies. It is about social collaboration and interaction of peers in a creative digital environment.
Let's take a moment to explore what the web 2.0 landscape looks like:
Share Music:
http://www.napster.com
Share Photos:
http://flickr.com
Share Videos:
http://www.youtube.com
Share with a Community:
http://www.myspace.com
http://www.facebook.com
Share Information:
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Share Your Opinion:
https://www.blogger.com/start
Share an Organizer:
http://www.backpackit.com/
Share A Second Life:
http://secondlife.com/
The examples above demonstrate what Web 2.0 is about. It is a collaborative sharing environment that fosters community. Lets take this one step further and explore the tools that educators and students are using to implement Web 2.0
http://teacherly.com/
http://stu.dicio.us/
http://www.gradefix.com/
http://www.haikuls.com/
http://collegeruled.com/
http://www.chalksite.com/
http://thegroupvine.com/
http://zohochallenge.com/OnlineTest/Candidate.do
http://www.notecentric.com/
http://notemesh.com/
So what's next? That's your call to make as an educator. How are you going to enhance your digital learning space?