Take away the fancy name and Web 2.0 is basically the second generation of the internet. In the past, we received information in a more or less passive way, with little or no interaction. As the internet grew, so did the amount of people interacting with it. You can read a history lesson of what Bill O'Reilly envisioned when he "created " Web 2.0.
We are fast becoming a culture that gets information instantly, and we like it that way. Web 2.0 might be a fancy marketing ploy, but it is here to stay. If you have read Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" you will understand a little bit how Web 2.0 works. It starts from the ground up, and it quickly takes hold with the rest of society. Take one of the earliest examples of Web 2.0 platforms, Napster. I remember how it first started. I was living in Boston at the time. All of a sudden, everyone around us had instant access to songs ...apparently for free! A young Northeastern college kid had broken the system. It was a little seed that quickly germinated, causing lawsuits, mass hysteria and changing the way the music industry did business. Enter ITunes a couple years later, and they marketed the genius idea and resurrected Apple.
Web 2.0 changes and is very fickle. Today's social networking site can quickly be discarded as people find better and more satisfying ways to interact. The internet is constantly becoming bigger, better, and more interactive. With thousands of new applications available on your Iphones everyday, the choices are endless.
As educators, we must become aware of how our students interact if we wish to reach them. We have to understand the way this has changed their viewpoint. Their sense of reality is ever expanding to a world beyond their front door. We must find the right tools for them to make informed choices.
