Web 2.0 is defined by oreillynet.com as being comprised of seven core competencies. They are as follows:
- Service, not packaged software, with cost-effective scalability
- Control over unique, hard-to-recreate data sources that get richer as more people use them
- Trusting users as co-developers
- Harnessing collective intelligence
- Leveraging the long tail through customer self-service
- Software above the level of a single device
- Lightweight user interfaces, development models, AND business models.
There are multiple pros and cons of web 2.0 applications. Obvious pros include the open architecture of web 2.0 applications. By this I mean that sites like Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and a site like facebook has loads of extra programs available to waste, though there are useful add-ons, time. Web 2.0 applications also encourage interactions between individuals whether it be through words, images, or audio. A third pro that comes to mind is the ability for an individual to access data at an amazing pace. Though sites like Wikipedia can contain false information there are also checks in place so that with a small amount of research users can verify the information, as I did with the Wikipedia link I used above, and have that huge amount of knowledge at their fingertips.
Not everything is great with web 2.0 applications though. As I mentioned sites like Wikipedia can be edited so that articles contain false information. Along the same lines a recent article on CNN's website mentions the possibility and fear of many that false facebook accounts are being made and used to take money from unsuspecting users. To push even farther, recently a teenager in Missouri killed herself because of messages she was receiving on myspace from who she though was a peer. It turned out the person sending the messages was old enough to be her mother, who is not serving time in prison. So safety is a big issue with web 2.0 applications. Another issue with web 2.0 applications is that the internet plays such a huge role in file storage. What happens if a flickr user decides to keep all of their pictures on the website and something happens to the server they are stored on or something happens to their account? This isn't a problem if the user also stores the images on their computer, but I believe web 2.0 sites are making it so easy to store files that many users do not think about what might happen if something happens to their files.
As I am constantly on the internet and have been for the past 5 years I have used a great number of web 2.0 applications. They include, but are not limited to: iTunes, firefox, amazon.com, craigslist, ebay, paypal, Gmail, Skype, facebook, myspace, netflix, and youtube.
Of these web 2.0 applications I have used I have implemented a few of them into my classroom and could implement more of them in the future. One of the first things I did in my first year of teaching was install Firefox on all the computers in my computer lab. This was followed by installing iTunes on each computer. I allow students to take advantage of the many Firefox add-ons, including using the "web developer toolbar" in my Web Design course and love having the option for students to listen to college podcasts via iTunes. In some of my classes we use programs like investopedia's free stock market game and when students don't have e-mail addresses set up I encourage them to create a Gmail account. In the future I can imagine having each student create an account and set up the course as if it were a business and memos and assignments were sent and submitted via e-mail.
I believe others are using web 2.0 applications in a similar manner as I do. I know some use programs such as Second Life but I am not yet knowledgeable enough about the program to feel secure trying to use it in a high school classroom nor am I sure that even after I have a better understanding of it I will feel comfortable allowing teenagers to use it in my classroom. Another manner in which other educators take advantage of web 2.0 applications is with podcasts. Many teachers create podcasts themselves and post them on a school website and/or have students create podcasts of their own. I think this is a great idea and I hope to do it in the future.
Web 3.0. According to howstuffworks.com web 3.0 might do the following, "you might type a complex sentence or two in your Web 3.0 browser, and the Web will do the rest. In our example, you could type "I want to see a funny movie and then eat at a good Mexican restaurant. What are my options?" The Web 3.0 browser will analyze your response, search the Internet for all possible answers, and then organize the results for you." While I find this a bit hard to believe right now I think it is hard for anyone to say what web 3.0 might be because web 2.0 is not fully developed.
Not everything is great with web 2.0 applications though. As I mentioned sites like Wikipedia can be edited so that articles contain false information. Along the same lines a recent article on CNN's website mentions the possibility and fear of many that false facebook accounts are being made and used to take money from unsuspecting users. To push even farther, recently a teenager in Missouri killed herself because of messages she was receiving on myspace from who she though was a peer. It turned out the person sending the messages was old enough to be her mother, who is not serving time in prison. So safety is a big issue with web 2.0 applications. Another issue with web 2.0 applications is that the internet plays such a huge role in file storage. What happens if a flickr user decides to keep all of their pictures on the website and something happens to the server they are stored on or something happens to their account? This isn't a problem if the user also stores the images on their computer, but I believe web 2.0 sites are making it so easy to store files that many users do not think about what might happen if something happens to their files.
As I am constantly on the internet and have been for the past 5 years I have used a great number of web 2.0 applications. They include, but are not limited to: iTunes, firefox, amazon.com, craigslist, ebay, paypal, Gmail, Skype, facebook, myspace, netflix, and youtube.
Of these web 2.0 applications I have used I have implemented a few of them into my classroom and could implement more of them in the future. One of the first things I did in my first year of teaching was install Firefox on all the computers in my computer lab. This was followed by installing iTunes on each computer. I allow students to take advantage of the many Firefox add-ons, including using the "web developer toolbar" in my Web Design course and love having the option for students to listen to college podcasts via iTunes. In some of my classes we use programs like investopedia's free stock market game and when students don't have e-mail addresses set up I encourage them to create a Gmail account. In the future I can imagine having each student create an account and set up the course as if it were a business and memos and assignments were sent and submitted via e-mail.
I believe others are using web 2.0 applications in a similar manner as I do. I know some use programs such as Second Life but I am not yet knowledgeable enough about the program to feel secure trying to use it in a high school classroom nor am I sure that even after I have a better understanding of it I will feel comfortable allowing teenagers to use it in my classroom. Another manner in which other educators take advantage of web 2.0 applications is with podcasts. Many teachers create podcasts themselves and post them on a school website and/or have students create podcasts of their own. I think this is a great idea and I hope to do it in the future.
Web 3.0. According to howstuffworks.com web 3.0 might do the following, "you might type a complex sentence or two in your Web 3.0 browser, and the Web will do the rest. In our example, you could type "I want to see a funny movie and then eat at a good Mexican restaurant. What are my options?" The Web 3.0 browser will analyze your response, search the Internet for all possible answers, and then organize the results for you." While I find this a bit hard to believe right now I think it is hard for anyone to say what web 3.0 might be because web 2.0 is not fully developed.
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