The Future of Web 2.0

I believe the future of Web 2.0 is just beginning. When I say to people, "I have a Blog and a Wiki", they look at me like I'm crazy. Although I've learned an extreme amount of Web 2.0 tools and language in my summer Stritch classes, there are so many people out there who haven't yet begun to know about it. The best part is the interactive piece. People of all ages are now posting thoughts and comments where before we were just reading about things. Of course, this has also led to a vast majority of people blogging their thoughts and opinions about ANYTHING! But this gets to my next point- the social piece. People who don't know each other are communicating. Instead of handing in a paper to their teacher, students are posting their work to an unlimited audience. Kids are writing throughout the summer more than ever before. As Dion Hinchcliffe states in his article, The State of Web 2.0, "Users generate the majority of the content." So how can anyone think this is going away? It's just spilling into school districts and classrooms. The best part too is how you can use all these tools for free! I have 2 Blogs set up, a photo sharing site, a Wiki and a WIkispace. I haven't spent a dime. My Blog saved me while teaching summer school to make life easier for first graders to get to some sites they needed to use. Kids can communicate with each other about books, assignments, projects, all from the comfort of home. I can't wait to share what I've learned this summer with my colleagues at school. Although there are hesitant teachers out there, and district people looking out for safety and filtering, Web 2.0 is our future. We adults need to learn it, model it, and utilize it in education.