Full+Disclosure


 * Web 2.0: What is it, Why is it, and What does it mean for me and my students?**


 * July 23-27, Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m to 2:00 pm**


 * Who**: USN teachers only, no more than 12


 * Fee**: Free
 * Location**: a USN Computer Lab.

Lower School Technology Coordinator Scott Merrick will lead this week-long, student-driven, hands-on set of experiences to familiarize attendees with new technologies that are shaping the way human beings use the internet to collaborate and communicate.
 * Marketing Description:**

Registered participants will receive an email two weeks prior to the workshop, containing links and documents for **//required//** pre-workshop reading and exploration. On Day 1, following a comprehensive overview of Web 2.0 technologies (and a discussion of the debate surrounding the very concept), attendees will //each// identify four Web 2.0 tools to explore in depth. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Each morning session will provide examples, guidance, and learning resources for one specific technology selected by the instructor. Interactive sessions with leading Web 2.0 proponents and experts will be featured at intervals throughout the week via videoconference and VoiceOverIP telephony. Afternoons will be devoted to individual or small affinity group work. Progress and collaboration will be documented using Web 2.0 technologies (wikis, blogs, etc.). The Friday session will be dedicated to participant sharing and demonstration, with question/answer sessions led by each group or individual in turn.
 * Overview:**

Instant Messaging Videoconferencing Blogs Wikis Podcasts Social Networks Social Bookmarking Mashups Digital Imaging and Photo Sharing Rss feeds Virtual Worlds and Communities Collaborative Content Tools Integrated Search Tools Open Source Software
 * Potential topics, no doubt to be revised by session’s start:**


 * Driving questions for self-paced investigation of each technology:**
 * What are the characteristics of this technology? Its strengths and limitations?
 * What tools are available to implement each technology and what differentiates each tool from its competitors?
 * How are educators using this technology to facilitate learning?
 * How might I use this technology in my own classroom to enhance learning?
 * How might I use this technology to further my own professional development?
 * What will it cost me in terms of time or budget to implement this technology?
 * How might I combine this technology with others I’m learning about to maximize learning for both my students and myself?

Every day, more and more of the work that people do ends up in a digitized form. From X-rays…, to songs, movies, architectural drawings, technical papers, and novels, that work is saved on a hard disk and transmitted instantly over the internet to someone near of far who makes use of it in an endless variety of ways. Because this is so, employers everywhere have access to a worldwide workforce composed of people who do not have to move to participate in work teams that are truly global. Because this is true, a swiftly rising number of American workers at every skill level are in direct competition with workers in every corner of the globe. //(from Tough Choices for Tough Times:// //The Report of the NEW Commission on the Skills of the American Workplace).//

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The University of Arizona today announced a new collaborative initiative to develop a course aimed at helping developers build online communities and social network systems using Web 2.0 technologies. The curriculum, which is designed to equip students with skills in the creation and management of online communities, will be offered to the Management Information Systems Department (MIS) and Marketing students in The University of Arizona's Eller College of Management.

The analyst firm Gartner Group predicts that by 2008, the majority of Global 1,000 companies will quickly adopt several technology-related aspects of Web 2.0 to advance their businesses. As companies increase their reliance on new Web-based technologies to capitalize on new business opportunities, the industry is showing greater demand for technology experts who can build and manage Web 2.0 resources including wikis, blogs, user groups and forums. The IBM/University of Arizona partnership is the first of its kind to bring these principles to the classroom, giving students early exposure to influential, emerging technologies. //(from IBM: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20459.wss )//

You can no longer expect your professional standing to progress if you don’t have an easily accessible, broadly informative presence on the Web. And while that virtual existence is essential in itself, it’s not enough. You have to contribute something, and that’s what Web 2.0 is all about. //(from Don Tennant, Vice-President, Editor-in-Chief, ComputerWorld Magazine// //http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=286924&source=rss_topic10//