What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is the second generation of the internet.
The first generation of the internet (Web 1.0) was a "read only" web for the majority of internet users. If users did not possess the right tools or technologies to create a website they could only read what other people have published.
The second generation of the internet (Web 2.0) is a "read-write" web for the majority of internet users. Users now have access to a wide variety of online tools that enable them to create and publish their own materials on the net.
Web 2.0 includes online tools such as blogs, photo and video sharing, podcasts, social bookmarking, social networking, wikis and more.
Web 2.0 is all about
- participation
- collaboration
- interactivity
- communication
- community-building
- sharing
- networking
- creativity
Source: Web 2.0 Survival Guide
Web 2.0 and the "New Literacy"
The "New Literacy" involves teaching both "traditional literacy" and how to read and produce texts typical of the emerging information and multimedia age. The "New Literacy" also involves the following:
- basic literacy and the habits of mind
- visual/media literacy
- information literacy
- inter-cultural awareness
- digital citizenship
- network literacy
Web 2.0 tools go hand-in-hand with the teaching of new literacies because it enables students to engage with and create their own content using electronic media. The following YouTube video outlines how Web 2.0 technologies can be effectively used to enhance student learning
