Analysis of Web 2.0 Tools

Before web 2.0 tools can be integrated into the classroom and curriculum, they have to be evaluated. Fancy graphics, web hype, and cool features don't necessarily make the best web 2.0 tool.

I subscribe to the RSS feed of many educational technology blog that review web resources, however the best method I have found was introduced to me through my graduate course work. Wendy Drexler started a wiki titled Teach Web 2.0 to review Web 2.0 tools. The wiki uses a SWOT analysis to evaluate the tools. It is a tool that I access daily to add my thoughts and opinions to and read those of others.

If you are researching a web 2.0 tool, I encourage you to visit the Teach Web 2.0 wiki to see what others have said. If the tool is not on the wiki yet, go and ahead add it to help you analyze the tool and share your knowledge with others. The wiki is web 2.0 tool doing what web 2.0 tools do best - "harnessing collective intelligence" (O'Rielly, 2006).

In addition to considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a web 2.0 tool, I think it is important to consider the two following questions:

1. Does the tool enable us to do something we couldn't do before?
2. Does the tool enable us to do something we could do before, but better?
   

These questions are based on the questions Judi Harris encourages us to consider when implementing any technology into the classroom or curriculum (1998). I think the answers to these two questions help me see where a web 2.0 tool might be most effectively integrated into the the classroom.

How do you evaluate web 2.0 tools?

Note: I added the websites I subscribe to that regularly review new web 2.0 tools to the blog roll in the sidebar. Do you have any other great sources for web 2.0 tools?


References:

Harris, Judi. (1998). Harris, Judi. (1998). Wetware: Why Use Activities Structures. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu/Foundation/wetware.html

O'Reilly, Tim. (2006). Web 2.0 Compact Definition: Trying Again. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2006/12/web-20-compact.html

Teach Web 2.0. (nd). Retrieved March 6, 2009 from Teach Web 2.0 Wiki: http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/