#11 Week 5 Web 2.0 Awards

I have just finished looking at and exploring some of the Web 2.0 Awards. I had actually heard of several of the sites, but was astounded and overwhelmed with the variety of sites available. Web 2.0 has really taken off, and people from all over are finding creative ways to use technology. This creativity is one of the skills that Daniel Pink talks about in his book, A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. This kind of creative mode wouldn't never have happened before the web became a powerful part of everyone's lives.

Some of the sites are becoming quite mainstream: craig's list, google doc, bookmarking sites. I liked del.icio.us, rollyo as I felt they would be useful tools for our job, as well as sites that students could be taught to use as they research. The social networking sites are amazing. This trend of networking across age levels, the globe and the work forcehas amazing implication for the future of education. The college community is big into the social networking scene, and eventually this trend will trickle down into the high school and middle school levels. As the education field is very slow to acknowledge new trends and slower still to change their culture, we as librarians have a tremendous opportunity. It is absolutely essential that we stay on top of this entire trend, and begin to think of ways to tie these sites into the curriculum. The swivel site which is a data collection site has tremendous potential for use in high school math classes. Especially classes that are trying to reach those advanced learners.
I like the esty site. I love unique things, and with just a brief overview I found beautiful jewelry, pottery and lots of needlework ideas. This is a site I will return to often.
This was an extremely thought-provoking, and interesting exercise. I found myself overhwelmed, but came away with lots of new knowledge that I can now share with others.
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