Week 3 Reflection

Week 3 Reflection

          Web 2.0 and Wikis are not in my everyday vocabulary.  After reading this week’s article and watching a few informational videos on both, I feel confident I could use each term correctly in a sentence.  The O’Reilly article was long and at times confusing but I think I was able to get the main idea of what Web 2.0 is, how we got there, and the principles of being “Web 2.0.”  I have heard the term Web 2.0 multiple times before but never really knew its meaning.  It is a hard concept to define but I believe it is a descriptive word about certain websites where users can participate and take ownership, services are easy to use, and information is at your fingertips.

          Setting up my own Wiki was fairly simple, the video introducing Wiki’s and showing tips on how to edit them helped immensely.  I enjoy watching videos like this rather than trying to read instructions its very Web 2.0; not only can I find helpful videos effortlessly but others can record and post them if they want.  I could possibly see setting up and using a Wiki for review for my students.  I might post vocabulary to be defined, questions to be answered, and students could even share notes or study tips.  My biggest concern, especially with middle schoolers, is giving them the freedom to add or delete information as they please.  I imagine high school students or college students would take it more seriously.  I could also see using a Wiki for a daily re-cap, posting the lesson for the day with main vocabulary, and links to websites that could further the students knowledge on the topic.  The students could then share or add additional information on the subject or ask questions.  This would be great for students who are absent.  I cannot say I am ready to start up a Wiki for my students tomorrow but I am happy to say I know how to do so when I’m ready!