Web 2.0

So I haven't been following one edublog exactly... but the 2008 Edublog Awards were recently given and I found this one known as the Generation Yes Blog (this blog appears to have the aim of empowering students with technology). It's an blog run by three people, and the entries here seem especially timely, particularly the one on the new Secretary of Education and... the one on Web 2.0 applications!


This Web 2.0 entry is the second part to a two-parter. The first part dealt with the problem of schools or districts basing their plans on Web 2.0 technology that is free and then the company failing, which would then be a huge problem. Therefore, Syliva (the blogger of these entries) came up with ten questions/ideas to consider before choosing a particular Web 2.0 application.


In particular the questions that rang true to me was: "Is it great? Would you pay for it?" and "How big are they?" I noticed, as Leanne and I searched for the application we were going to use for our webinar, that many sites offered two differing levels of membership (paid and unpaid). There are all sorts of neat gadgets out there, but if schools, teachers, and districts want to integrate these for the long term... there are many dimensions to consider, and at the bottom line is still money and motivation.