WEB+2.0

Tim O’Reilly, the creator of the name “Web 2.0” defined Web 2.0 as:
=== “Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an “architecture of participation,” and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.” ===

I will be using the Web 2.0 tools in my classroom as a process for better understanding giving the opportunity to show different way to arrive at the same answer.
==== Web 2.0 tools are the new age instruments for learning outside of the classroom. With the power of the Internet anyone can access anything from anywhere. These new “Apps” will have a great impact on education. However, the elephant in the room with Web 2.0 tools is the freedom that comes side by side with the learning. It has been increasingly harder to monitor kids in a classroom when they have access to computers. Free rain for web browsing is important and dangerous all at once. Thus making it harder for a teacher to keep total control and the attention of everyone in the class, when students are in turn playing with distractions. Balance between the teacher and students will make or break Web 2.0 integration into classrooms. The most beneficial Web 2.0 tools that I have found are: Google Apps for Education, Downloadtube, Adam, Dropbox, and Paper Rater. These particular tools are applicable to High School education and above. ====

==== Google Apps for Education is a new dynamic way for teachers to stay organized. The App is to be used throughout the school and really the district. Google Apps is free for students, and all staff at qualifying educational institutions. Teachers will now be able to use a dynamic calendar for lesson planning that is accessible to all teachers interested in the particular class. Keeping the communication and workflow equal between teachers. Google Apps also gives teachers the ability to create personal class websites for students to access at anytime. The Idea of class work online for a High School will be revolutionary. If assignments were posted online with follow completion instructions, students that had to miss class that day for a doctor appointment, family emergency, or even misplaced homework, would be access the missed assignment to turn in later. In reality this would free up a teacher's time in keeping track of all assignments used during the year. Really it could be seen as an online filling system for students to access course work for the entire year. Google Apps has many more cool innovative applications for teachers. ====

==== Downloadtube is a very simple gizmo online that allows any online video to be directly downloaded to a PC, Flash Drive, or mobile device. In a calls room this will be most effective because a teacher will on have to have YouTube opened on the computer to show the video. This gives the lesson a more professional look and feel. Also when the video file is downloaded and saved in the lesson plan it will be easier to retrieve the next time. ====

==== Adam, the acronym used on behalf of the Advanced Dynamic Application for creating Multimedia Content, brings plain old documents to life. This application will create a simple web page showcase project changing the formm of static print to a dynamic interactive document. This application allows hotspots to be inserted into the document, making for a faster and more organized presentation. This will be most effective in a classroom when used with a PowerPoint presentation. For a teacher, the flow of the presentation is very important. If kids have down time when a teacher is fooling with technology they have not mastered, time is wasted in the classroom. Speaking from experience, students judge a teachers credibility if they can use the same tools that they have been growing up with. This puts pressure on new teacher to learn how to use the latest technology. ====

==== As for file sharing and storage, Dropbox, is the easiest universal tool on the web. It can be password protected or public information. This allows teacher to save past and present documents out of sight from students and make available current work or projects. Dropbox eliminates the excuse of lost files, because they will be stored online and can be accessed form any computer. The flash drive just as the floppy disk will be a thing of the past. Easy accessibility and simplicity are the key to effective applications in the classroom. Dropbox has both. ====

==== Paper Rater, is a great application for students to utilize. It is a free proofreader for all sorts’ of papers. This gives students an extra leg up on turning in a final assignment. Paper Rater takes the place of a mom or dad that do not have the time to check their child’s homework. Allowing the student to strive for that perfect grade or pater they have been working for. Paper Rater also checks for plagiarism. This tool could be used for teachers to submit a paper if time did not allow them to grade or were suspicious of copying. However, I do not think that this application will be used for this purpose; it has been designed more for the students exploitation. ====

==== Web 2.0 applications used for education can be a powerful leaning tool. They should be utilized more and more as time goes on. The “smart classroom” is a very new idea and will grow at a progressively fast rate. Making it a challenge for teachers to keep up with the new technological tools, games, sites, and really all web based influences. ====