For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Award Winners and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Professional Networking) and then select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these are free, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Another site that is gaining in popularity is the social networking site called Ning. With Ning, you can set up your own social network such as for a campus organization, study group or a class. To learn more about Ning, join one of the Ning Social Networking groups or search for an area of interest:
- Classroom 2. 0 - http://classroom20.ning.com/
The social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and collaborative or transformative technologies in education - School 2.0 - http://school20.ning.com/
Social network for discussion of collaborative Web technologies in the classroom. - Library 2.0 - http://library20.ning.com/
This network is for librarians and others interested in Library 2.0.
Discovery Exercise: Two Options
- Option 1: Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards winners (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.) Explore the site you selected. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a class or department?
- Option 2: Join a Ning network. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about Ning? What were the site's useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a class or department?
Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE. :)
We hope you're having fun with the exercises.
NEXT UP: #12 Roll Your Own Search Tool
