Defining Keywords of e-learning, educational technology, learning technologies, ICT, or new media.  I chose the term Web 2.0 and my definition is found below:

Assignment #1: Defining ET

WEB 2.0 by Kevin Wilnechenko                                                                      September 27, 2010

Web 2.0 is a second generation of the World Wide Web that allows people to create and share information as well as collaborate and network with ease.  It is diverse and involves software specific to interpersonal computing and web services.  It has resulted in an explosion of information exchange, which has advanced education technology tremendously.

History and Social Networking

First-generation Internet web sites are static in nature and have more to do with a one-way flow of information.  Alternatively, second generation computing is multi-directional and provides a complex connection between individuals, businesses, and online software.  Perhaps the greatest component of Web 2.0 is social networking.  Web sites like Facebook and Myspace are hubs for online communities that are used to develop relationships.

Web 2.0 in Education

YouTube and Wikipedia are places to access information and other digital media.  Users are free to add their own content to these localized cyber-areas and are encouraged to upload video and provide feedback.  This technology has opened the door for education to reach further than it ever has.  However, instead of information collection being a problem, the new issue is the accuracy of the content and reliability of the source.  YouTube Edu is a trustworthy site with over 200 free courses from over one hundred universities like Yale and Harvard.

Students are not the only beneficiaries of the improved education that Web 2.0 provides; teachers now have access to teaching resources like never before; TeacherTube was developed for this purpose.  It is content created by teachers for teachers and it is delivered in a digital media video format.  Web 2.0 also provides teachers with new methods of instruction and strategies for assessment.  For example, e-portfolios are ways for students to document their progress in a course.  Sites like WordPress and Blogger give students the ability to journal and showcase meaningful course work, which can be used as part of the assessment.

Web Services

My favorite elements of Web 2.0 are web services that provide efficient and productive web software.  Googledocs is an online word-processor where documents can be shared with selected users.  More than one person can view and edit a document at a time.  This has opened up a world of possibilities for group work in education and business.  EyeOS is another example that acts as an online desktop, giving users portability without owning a laptop; files can be placed on the EyeOS desktop and sorted in folders.  These and other Web 2.0 software and services are usually free to users and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.

References and additional reading:
O’Neal, C. (2007, May 11). TeacherTube is a YouTube for Educators. Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://www.edutopia.org/teachertube-videos-online-collaboration-teachers

O’Reilly, T. (2005, September 30). What is Web 2.0. Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html

Web 2.0. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://www.explainingcomputers.com/web2.html

Web 2.0. (2010, September 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0