Analysis of Websites on web 2.0 and Education

Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0

These three sites are the writings and findings of a web designer/programmer, Brian Benzinger. These sites are parts of a three part article that he has written, Part one looks at tools, part two looks at office applications and part three deals with real cases of the use of web 2.0 in classrooms around the world. This is an invaluable tool because the author, Brian Benzinger has tried and tested all the links/applications he recommends in his article. He has also highlighted personal favourites, this is important because teachers need to know if the applications they may be looking to use in their own class have worked for others, if they are recommended, they may be more willing to use the same technique in the future.

Part one 

Part one categorises the different parts of web 2.0 into groups such as media sharing, learning and research and For teachers. These sub categories set out the liks nicely, making it easy for teachers to look through the links that may only apply to them. It also looks at a load of resources/applications for students that teachers should be aware of.

Part Two 

Part two deals mainly with office applications and comparing the different applications such as word processor applications and spreadsheets etc. with each other. This is a new dimension to programs that we take for granted such as Word. It offers office applications that are entirely created on the internet, an integral part of Web 2.0.

Part Three

Part three looks at experiences with the different applications/tools that form part of Web 2.0 and their use in Education. What he has noticed with the use of Educational blogging, Photosharing with programs such as flickr, podcasting, Wikis and video sharing.

All three parts are important from a teacher's point of view because they allow us to gain an insight into how we may use these programs, the pros and cons of each of them and perhaps how they can be improved. This article also allows for comments to be made/read by other viewers, bringing about the idea of social networking/learning off each other.

Hey Jude Blog

Hey Jude is a fantastic blog, it offers information on many things web 2.0. This blog is updated approximately every 1-2 days. It gives tips on many things web 2.0 and shows us many different sites or places that she has found on the web and how they can be used. Particular emphasis is placed on web 2.0’s influence on education. I have noticed down the right hand side that there is a drop down menu that has links and names of many edubloggers, bloggers that write particularly about education, for example George Siemens. The ability to link to other sites is an invaluable tool, particularly for students like me, who have little knowledge about some topics of web 2.0 as i am still learning them. Blogs such as Hey Jude allow us to learn about sites found by others… the site del.icio.us allows users to share their own bookmarks and search for sites to help them in their own research. This website also gives examples of slideshowsand presentations given at conferences etc. offering even more links for us. It is extremely organised and easy to maneouver  around, offering resources, easy to use headings and many , many links to other bloggers, educators and wikis.

Using Flickr as a social tool 

Flickr is an online social photo sharing application. It allows users to upload their own photos onto a site and have the option to share these with others. There are also other components such as the map that allows the user to pinpoint the locations where their photos were taken. This could be useful in the classroom because it would allow students, who may have been on a school trip or something to upload their photos and then share them with their parents or friends mid way through the trip. When the students return from their trip they are then connected with their classmates again and able to see the different photos they had taken during the trip. Flickr is an important part of the social networking tool because it allows people to connect using a visual medium, a popular learning tool.