When evaluating technology use in the classroom it is important to examine the tools you are currently using and determine if you are using technology tools as a method of one way communication and passive sharing or are you asking students to engage on a deeper level with your content. Engaging students often means enabling the to collaborate with shared documents or completing online assessments prior to entering the classroom.
Differentiating between these tools becomes a matter of understanding the differences between what are commonly called Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 tools. Here are two definitions of these tools as well as the evolving Web 3.0 tools. These are taken from Digital Inspiration (http://www.labnol.org/internet/web-3-concepts-explained/8908/)
Understanding and differentiating how these tools can be used in the classroom is an important decision which impacts the level of integration/collaboration you will get with students. Most 21st century learners engage with the use of 2.0 tools in more impactful ways than the use of “static” read only content of the pre-2006 web. Consider this list when choosing a tool and what the students receptivity to the content will be.
Further Reading:
Key Differences in Web 1.0 & Web 2.0
