Web 2.0: A Perfect Fit for Educators

The advent of the Internet, however, and in particular what we are calling “Web 2.0,” has so significantly changed our relationship to information and our own personal learning opportunities outside of formal education, that we’re beginning to see a set of software tools emerge that are profoundly altering both learning processes and outcomes. These tools allow us to see the start of a radical evolution in education that will bring such dramatic changes that we’ll soon be at a point where we won’t be able to imagine education without them. Social and educational networking both come to us courtesy of Web 2.0. For a number of reasons, I believe that Web 2.0 is the perfect environment for educators, which is why forward-thinking school systems and academic institutions are working hard to make it a part of their practices. This new web is going to dramatically alter the 21st century landscape in education, shaping how students approach learning, how educators approach teaching, and, increasingly, how educators are interacting with, and learning from, each other. Web 2.0 plays to the strengths of educators — curiosity and love of learning — by opening the doors to collaboration and participation. It encourages and facilitates the natural desire to share what you know and to learn from your colleagues. And fully embracing Web 2.0 is a logical extension of the attempts that so many educators have made to use the Internet to connect, collaborate, and create since the first days of bulletin boards and list serves. So for many educators, it’s an incredibly exciting time. But it may also be confusing and even intimidating to a larger number. My purpose here is to offer some clarity around the confusion, and, more importantly, explain why the excitement around Web 2.0 is not just passing fad, but is grounded in the deep roots of how we learn. Citation: Hargadon, S. (2009). Educational networking: The important role web 2.0 will play in education. Elluminate White Paper, Retrieved from http://audio.edtechlive.com/lc/EducationalSocialNetworkingWhitepaper.pdf