When discussing technology and EFL not a minute goes by without mentioning "Web 2.0".
What is Web 2.0 anyway?
The term Web 2.0 does not refer to a new version or update of the World Wide Web as some might believe. It refers to the different way we now use the Web.The end-users are no longer just users, limited to passive viewing of a website, but participants who create their own content and share their opinions. The emphasis is on collaboration and open sharing of information within web-based communities. Users do not need technical knowledge to publish information and share media. Blogs and wikis are examples of Web 2.0 applications.
Still don't get it?
A simple example of the difference between Web1.0 and Web 2.0 is online encyclopedias. Britannica Encyclopedia Online is written by experts and published periodically whereas Wikipedia relies on user contrubutions which are constantly updated.
Web 2.0 tools for EFL
- Blogs (blogger , wordpress, edublogs)
- Wikis (wiki , wikispaces)
- Photo Sharing (Flickr , Picasa)
- Word Clouds (wordle , tagxedo)
- Video Quiz (eslvideo) Read post on eslvideo here.
- Notice Board (wallwisher)
- Online Posters (glogster)
- Group Conversations (voicethread)
- Talking Avatar (voki)
- Speaking (Alice bot)
- E-learning (Second Life .......
Last but not least ... my favourite tool - Moodle
Read an introduction to moodle here.
A Web 2.0 word cloud from wikipedia.org
An interesting video on Web 2.0
The Web is us/ing us
For more information about Web2.0 visit wikipedia.
