Thing #2

Web 2.0 matters because the new technologies emerging everyday are redefining interaction between people, and between people and software in a 21st century. The technologies such as social networking sites - myspace, facebook, twitter - and other concepts like podcasting, blogging, rss feeds, google reader, etc have a far reaching effect on how people access and utilize information in our lives both online and offline.

Web 2.0 tools have changed the teaching profession as an increasing number of teachers are leaning towards teaching across the curriculum. A teacher can access blogs, podcasts, etc to learn what is being taught by other teachers in other subjects then reinforce particular concepts to the students.

We are able to use these new tools to engage today's "digital learners". Digital learners have embraced web 2.0 techonologies extensively by active participation in facebook, myspace, texting, twitter and numerous other technologies. Facilitating a concept of "switching" from pen and paper to web 2.0 technologies such as a writeboard and blogging, is one way of engaging them. This keeps them interested and the class lively for all.

Todays world is already an e-world. It is therefore inevitable that todays learners get equipped to effectively employ web 2.0 technologies in order to interract and contribute in this e-world.