The Shifting of the Dot Com

A brief understanding of Web. 2.0 and Web 3.0

Image from: https://www.stellardigital.in/blog/difference-between-web-2-0-and-web-3-0/

Introduction:

As a millennial, I can remember the days of sharing a family computer and knowing that when I got logged onto AOL, it would take several minutes to connect and our landline would be out of order for the short time I was allowed on the internet. I remember feeling like I had the world at my fingertips as I learned that I had the ability to search just about anything through the dial up server. I could chat with multiple friends at one time while also browsing the content from hundreds of websites. It was the birth of a new freedom, and I had no idea that my connectivity would eventually establish an everyday presence in my life.

Synthesis:

Understanding Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 is understanding the progression of the internet through the decades. . Where Web 2.0 is centered around corporate bigheads like Facebook and Google, Web 3.0 works to decentralize the control of these companies and allow users to freely communicate and interact without the overarching control of large companies (Driscoll, 2022). While Web 3.0 is working to enhance the internet, Web 2.0 is just barely making an appearance in education. Web 2.0 offers many benefits for students and teachers, and Web 3.0 enhances those benefits by offering features like personalized data collection, immersive learning environments, and equitable access.

One of the most important shifts in focus from one to the other is the new focus on creation rather than consumption. With all Web 3.0 offers, it is important that the educational realm begin catching up with the times and focusing more on allowing students to create content instead of just consuming information (Delaney, 2012). In a world where internet safety and privacy are becoming increasingly more important to be instilled in students younger and younger, Web 3.0 aims to work with the people and protect them. This video demonstrates a great example of how Web 3.0 benefits users.

Evaluation:

As an educator, it is important to be open to the benefits of these tools within learning. Throughout my time in this program, it has become painstakingly obvious that technology is moving at a much faster pace than educational trends. As educators, we are just not keeping up. While this is largely due to funding limitations; educator training, knowledge, and attitude can also tremendously contribute to the lack of technological innovation within classrooms. I consider myself a tech-savvy teacher. However, the information shared this week over the comparisons and importance of the upgrades between Web 2.0 and 3.0 were new information for me. I had not thought about how the shift in internet purpose is impacting how we integrate technology in learning.

Conclusion:

As a future educational technologist, I believe it is my duty to continue exploring the inner-knowings of Web 3.0, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies. All of these are new concepts to me that I am hoping to learn more about throughout the remainder of this course. For further reading on what educators can do to understand the importance of Web 3.0 in learning, click here.

Works Cited

Delaney, M. (2012, October 26). What Is Web 3.0, Really, and What Does It Mean for Education? [Review of What Is Web 3.0, Really, and What Does It Mean for Education?]. EdTech Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/10/what-web-30-really-and-what-does-it-mean-education

Driscoll, T. (2022, November 11). Making Sense of Web 3.0 in Education. EdTechTeacher. https://edtechteacher.org/making-sense-of-web-3-0-in-education/