Week 2: What does Web 2.0 mean to me?

Web 2.0 or, as Will Richardson calls it, the Read/Write Web is the current generation of the Internet. As with all other forms of technology, the Internet constantly changes. Until recently information posted on the Internet or Web 1.0 was dominated by a small percentage of the population involved directly in Web development, industry, or a select group of persons familiar with html code writing. Today, the Internet has transformed from a place to simply look up information to a place where just about anyone can post information or communicate with others. It has simply become an almost incomprehensible communication tool.

• Users no longer need to know complicated codes to upload content to the web.
  
• There are over 200 million registered Myspace users.
  
• It only took 2 years for Facebook to reach 50 million users.
  
• There are about 100 billion web clicks everyday.
  
• There are over 31 billion searches a month on Google.
  

I choose these points to express my beliefs and discuss the importance of Web 2.0. To truly understand the significance of the Internet, you must consider not only how much it is used, but what has caused the evolution to Web 2.0. As html (hypertext mark-up language) evolved and was replaced with xml (extensible mark-up language), uploading to the Internet became much easier for the average person to do. People no longer need to have more than a general knowledge of computer language to create webpages or post information online. This is the catalyst that has made the Internet what it is today. The amount of people using the Internet as an interactive communication tool is overwhelming, and the number continues to grow exponentially.

Web 2.0 has made significant impacts on education. The greatest impacts have been on distance education. In previous years, distance education was limited to materials and assignments being mailed back and forth as communication between the teacher and student, or teleconferences. Today distance education takes many different forms. Web-based programs like Elluminate allow us to share our work and ideas in a multimedia environment. Online communities allow us to share ideas with other students and professionals quickly and easily. Virtual communities, such as Second Life, enable us to push the level of interaction even more. However, distance education isn't the only way education has benefitted from Web 2.0. Students now have more information and resources available than ever before. Blogs and Wikis allow students to ask questions and obtain or post feedback from others.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to take advantage of all the new resources available with Web 2.0. While it has benefitted my teaching practices in some ways, many of these newer resouces are blocked by the school district I work for. The situation is comparable to when Prometheus stole fire from Zues and gave it to us. There are many concerns with Web 2.0. Student privacy is the largets of concerns with Web 2.0. We must be able to protect students from individuals whom might use their infromation in inappropriate ways. Another concern is that of plagiarism. With so many resources available, it is very easy for students to copy and paste assignments. Along the same lines, copyright infringement is also a great risk. Students must be aware of the laws and consequences of breaking them. Until there is a way to address these issues more thoroughly, the true benefits of Web 2.0 will not be reached.