What is Web 2.0??

Don't be afraid to ask! Someone once said there are no silly questions, just people afraid to ask.

We choose to define Web 2.0 tools as applications hosted on the Internet that interactive, easy to learn (10 minutes or less) and FREE! It may take the teacher 10 minutes or less to learn, but the students, PK-12, will learn in half the time and then demonstrate all the bells and whistles of the program. BUT THAT'S OKAY!! Now you have their attention, they are engaged and having fun while learning your curriculum.

Remember, as Mark Prensky wrote "today's students are digital natives, while we (not born into the digital world) are digital immigrants."

"Today's students – K through college – represent the first generations to grow up with this new technology. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age. Today‟s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV). Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives" (Prensky, 2001).

Ok, enough lecture for this post. Just remember, we are on a journey to reach and engage our students. We need to "speak" their language. Technology is the key!

Welcome to Web 2.0 for the Classroom

We have introduced many Web 2.0 tools during the past four years here in our school district. As we visit with educators and administrators from other districts, we find that many educators are still unfamiliar with Web 2.0 tools and we would like to share our experiences with others.

Come and join us as we continue to experiment, explore and share!!!