My impression about "What Web 2.0 can teach the Open Education Movement"

Among the several sessions I attended during  Open Education 2008, this was one that  specially called my attention.

 

I can not really say what Web 2.0 means, but this session was mainly about the impact that four websites have had in many   “web users”, and how we can make a good use  of them in education. Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube and Delicious ( I just knew about this last one during the session) are worl-wide known s websites. The four of them are quite different in content and primary purposes, but have in common the characteristic of bringing together millions of users, who have the opportunity to share their experiences, knowledge, interests, among other things.

 

First of all, we have the “contagious” social networking  Facebook. I myself was practically forced to create my account days before arriving at USU, if I pretended to fit in this whole new world for me. It is like my letter of presentation, and almost 90% of the Dominican students living in USU have one. Surprising, uh? Not really. Now, if I think as an educator, there must be a way to give this site a more “instructional” purpose. Actually, many have put into practice this idea. In my new “leisure time” activity, I have found several groups with cultural interests, not only the usual favorite artists, movie, sport groups, but also groups who are taking this opportunity to let their voice be heard (better said, their words  be read).

 

Moreover, we have Wikipedia.  I was shocked, when I knew that everybody can edit it. Then, I thought the content of Wikipedia  not trustworthy.  However, since everything is possible, the advantage is that we can verify any information given on it, by checking the links. Like Facebook, Wikipedia let users share. In  this case, people can share their ideas, informations, and anything we can think might be of general knowledge  interest to others.

 

Furthermore, we run into Youtube. Honestly, I used to check it to find those old American  sitcoms and Mexican soap operas I watched when I was a little kid. I was not aware of the wide range of information people can find in there. Some years ago, I would not believe that just in a moment, something happening in the middle-east, can be seen in this side of the continent, first on Youtube than in the breaking news on TV.

Last, we have delicious, and like I said at the beginning, I do not have much to say about it because it was during this session when I first heard of it. Yes, I have to be more updated from now on. That is why I attended Open Ed.

 

 One of the challenges for us is to make these and other websites more instructional, and take the advantages they give us to connect millions people around the world.