March 2008 — News

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A Taste of Web 2.0

by Patricia Deubel, Ph.D.

Wikipedia 2.0). Wikipedia itself is one of those 2.0 technologies. As a public wiki (think community-developed encyclopedia), educators have criticized its use as a source for credible and reliable content. There is some truth to this, but Wikipedia is attempting to remedy charges against it by strongly advising editors of its content to cite their sources and by providing citation guidance (Wikipedia: Citing Sources). You'll see superscripts within content linking to references and phrases like "citation needed" next to questionable content. The key to its use is to teach students how to critically evaluate content at any Web site.

With Web 2.0 comes a list of new jargon, which in itself might make you say "Forget it!" Readers might have the general idea behind blogs, wikis, Webcasts, podcasts, social networks, and social bookmarks, as those have been popularly critiqued. (If you need some "Explanations in Plain English," view Lee LeFever's short video clips on those topics at You Tube.) But what are AJAX (no, not the household cleanser), aggregator and RSS feeds, folksonomies, chicklets (no, not chewing gum), mash-ups (no, not what you do to potatoes), and walled garden (no, not what's in your backyard)? In addition to Wikipedia, Webopedia's Web 2.0 terms will help expand your vocabulary.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are of particular interest to Web 2.0 advocates. When paired with an aggregator, a collection service like Bloglines.com or Google Reader, educators and their students can take advantage of having current information from favorite blogs and news sites come to them directly in a central location, rather than going out to search multiple sites individually. LeFever has a very concise explanation of RSS in his 2007 video, RSS in Plain English, also available at Classroom 2.0 for those who opt out of YouTube. Will Richardson's (2005) RSS: A Quick Start Guide For Educators provides more information on setting up a RSS Feed Reader, how to find and add feeds, and using RSS feeds in the classroom.

RSS is a time-saver for busy educators. Consider how valuable RSS would be for research on course-related topics of interest, keeping up with advances in technology from leaders in the field, or for sharing information and learning from other teachers in your subject area. Imagine the impact on teaching students critical thinking skills, if they could get quick access to up-to-the minute world news from sources offering contrasting perspectives (Freedman, 2006). Look for the RSS icon at