Week One: Blog Posting #1 - Web 2.0

Mass Production for Mass Consumption Leads to Mass Innovation
From the readings this week in both course books, video files provided and content found via the internet, Web 2.0 for me is Web 1.0 with oxygen.  It appears from multiple sources; specifically in web 2.0 new tools, new schools, Solomon and Schrum (2007) that "Web 2.0 is an ever-growing array of tools that people use to aggregate and interact with information in ways that are useful to them (p 23)."
This idea of a shared platform, ripe for consumption by any and all is outlined in the "We Think" video file by Charles Leadbeater (2008) in which he suggests that Web 2.0 is creating a relationship between users, ideas and conversations that leads to innovation and community.  Web 1.0 allowed a user to interact with content in a singular manner.  While it began to change the way the world operated, the onset of Web 2.0 tools has breathed life into the solitary and created the multitude. It is time for our educational system to embrace the tools of the trade and provide the kind of support necessary to effectively and efficiently integrate technology into our classrooms if our students are to be poised to compete locally and globally in the 21st century. As noted by Bill Ferriter in his article, Taking the Plunge, Educational Leadership (2009) he summarizes the key to becoming an effective 21st century instructor is to become an efficient 21st century learner. When high-quality teaching is paired with meaningful understanding of today's tools for networked learning, we will be prepared to support tomorrow's networked kid.