Web 2.0 Applications - What in the world are they and how do I use them in a classroom?

Web 2.0 tools offer teachers great outlets for students. These tools are changing the way we teach, the way students learn, and the way we can impact student's lives. They have seemed to become more and more popular because classrooms are becoming more technology savvy. They offer great ways to incorporate group work, classroom and home projects, student/teacher/parent communication, and most importantly, they are helping students to become more individualized. The Web 2.0 tools help students be able to create their own personalized work that represents them. The teachers are able to let the students have free reign over the project, whenever before, it was so structured that all the projects wound up looking the same. These tools help break up the monotonous projects that bore students. With the tools, the students are able to add in their own style and still get the point of what they are learning about. Also, most of the time the Web 2.0 tools are FREE!! In times like these, and education funding being cut, teachers need free tools that their students will enjoy. I think these reasons are why teachers are finding the Web 2.0 tools to be so popular amongst their students. Some examples of Web 2.0 tools that are available to teachers are:

• Blogger
• Wordpress
• Myspace
• Youtube
• Metacafe
• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Furl
• Twitter
• Flickr

These just barely scrap the surface on what's out there for teachers to use. Search Web 2.0 tools for education, and you will be amazed at what you find!