I will start by saying how confusing and complex Web 2.0 actually is. Before ENG 307, I didn’t even know there was a Web 1.0 as opposed to a Web 2.0. But now that I have done a little research, I guess I understand it a little more, not much though, I don’t want to be dishonest. Web 1.0 is basically going on the internet and reading, however Web 2.0 is a way of creating, playing and becoming a part of the web world. It is a way to engage, and incorporate one’s own thoughts and ides rather that just read about others.

Tim O’ Reillys’ article “What is Web 2.0″ was an extremely dense text, that used language I didn’t exactly understand. Every sentence I read through, I asked myself, “What the hell is he trying to tell me.” SO that is my main thought, that I felt he was talking to an audience of experts, which I am not even close to being. From what I did understand though, Web 2.0 originated because of the “crash” of the web and he states, “You can visualize Web 2.0 as a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles, at a varying distance from that core.” It puts everything together creating a web map. A main change between the two Webs is database management, for example Google is not just a collection of software tools, but a specialized database. From what I understand this database management reaches out to the entire web, which is amazing to me. So, apparently hyperlinking is the foundation of the web, which is bounded by the people who use the web as they add content and sites…so from my comprehension this network happens BECAUSE of user contributions, it’s up to us to keep web 2.0 alive!

Discussed by O’ Reilly and Bryan Alexander’s “Web 2.0 Storytelling” one of the most highly publicized features of the web 2.0 era is the rise of blogging. Now this article was on my level and much more comprehensible than the first. We all know what storytelling is right? It combines sequence with meaning engagement… this web 2.0 craziness led to an out-burst of user-generated content. Like my first reaction, us users have the control over web 2.0, it wouldn’t survive without us. This article discusses the digital storytelling of blogs, facebook, twitter, wikis, and social images. Blogging amazes me most, if it has been around for so long, my question is, why am i just learning about it? Why aren’t high school teachers integrating this incredible material into their curriculum? Storytelling is what this is all about, each of these elements to web 2.0 have their own way of creating a story. Whether it is a tweet in the moment, a status about one’s life, a blog post containing thoughts of the day or a fictional story of some sort, a collaboration on the wiki, or an image, which is worth a thousand words, these are all forms of storytelling. Writing stories, especially personalizing my own story, is something I love to do, we can make this educational to incorporate into the classrooms, why wouldn’t we, when we know that kids today are all about the new and up-coming technology? The world of Web 2.0 is here to stay, why not embrace it?

The last article “Seven things you should know about Creative Commons” was also more of a dense text. From what I understand this concept is an alternative  to traditional copyright, allowing copyright owners to release some of those rights while retaining other. Once again, it is up to the users, the owners of the sites or the web. Instead of deciding between all rights reserved and public domain, Creative Commons lets the users decide with “Some rights reserved.” It is significant because the power is put into the hands of the users. The more teachers understand this web 2.0 world, the better. There are more benefits for education when appreciating what this world is capable of.

As confusing as this stuff is, I strongly do believe it is important for all of us to take these thoughts into consideration as parents, students, teachers and learners!