Thing 5

Thing 5 is all about Web 2.0, for which Wikipedia gives a very wordy description.  Web 2.0 is basically the interactive online environment made up of websites and applications that allow audience participation.  It includes social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, etc.- pretty much anything that allows users to participate in the content.  I also read the Web 2.0:  A Guide for Educators article.  I hated the sentence in the first paragraph stating the Web has replaced things like libraries, bookstores, and classrooms.  I like those things!  Why are we happy these things are being replaced?  The article also claims the Web has replaced the need for paper.  I guess those big printers in every computer lab are just for decoration.  I would be impressed if the Web could eliminate the need for toilet paper.  As for “School 2.0,” I see the potential for something good.  It is nice for teachers and students to be able to contact each other and interact outside of the classroom, but as an art teacher in training, I value the in-class production time more than the idea of a high-tech future.  Future schools will probably benefit from the integration the Web into the curriculum, but I hope it is not at the expense of all the good aspects of today’s classroom ( or is it already yesterday’s classroom I’m thinking of? ).