ABSTRACT
In this chapter we look in detail at a wide range of web 2.0 tools, considering their advantages and disadvantages and describing an actual education application.
Th e following is a list of the tools discussed:
blogs wikis podcasts e-portfolios social networking social bookmarking photo sharing Second Life online forums video messaging e-books instant messaging Skype games mashups mobile learning RSS feeds YouTube audiographics
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RESOURCE: BLOGS WEBLOGS A blog is a type of web page that is simple to create and disseminate and that is used as a form of online journal by millions of users. Some blogs take the form of regular diary entries that are posted in reverse chronological order (newest at the top) and deal with the enthusiasms of the user (the blogger) who will combine personal opinions with links to other related websites, blogs, and other online articles. Th e ability for other users to leave comments on blog messages means that themed discussions can be built up very quickly and supporting information (other web articles, images etc.) can be shared with people who have similar interests. Th ere are a variety of diff erent services available on the web that enable one to set up a blog, and although some use hosted soft - ware (located at another location on the Internet) while others require you to install the soft ware on your own computer, they are all basically very similar. Due to their simplicity of use and their fl exibility, blogs have become a fast-growing feature of educational establishments, corporate businesses, and the public sector (e.g. news media sources such as the online Guardian or New York Times).
