Connect 2.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 21st Century Literacy?

View this fantastic slideshow introducing 21st Century Literacy to start!

21st Century Literacy can also be called Multimedia Literacy. Wikipedia defines multimedia literacy as “a new aspect of literacy that is being recognised as technology expands the way people communicate. The concept of Literacy emerged as a measure of the ability to read and write. In modern context, the word means reading and writing at a level adequate for written communication.

A more fundamental meaning is now needed to cope with the numerous media in use, perhaps meaning a level that enables one to successfully function at certain levels of a society. Multimedia is the use of several different forms of media to convey information. Several are already a part of the canon of global communication and publication: (text, audio, graphics, animation, video, and interactivity). Others, such as virtual reality, computer programming and robotics are possible candidates for future inclusion. With widespread use of computers, the basic literacy of ‘reading’ and ‘writing’ are often done via a computer, providing a foundation stone for more advanced levels of multimedia literacy.”

Definition from: Wikipedia, Multimedia Literacy Entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_literacy] Retrieved on 20 November 2006.

An important aspect of 21st Century Literacy is technology integration. Wikipedia defines technology Integration as “a term used by educators to describe effective uses of technology by teachers and students in K-12 and university classrooms. Teachers use technology to support instruction in language arts, social studies, science, math, or other content areas. When teachers integrate technology into their classroom practice, learners are empowered to be actively engaged in their learning.”

Definition from: Wikipedia, Technology Integration Entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_Integration] Retrieved on 20 November 2006.

What is Web 2.0?

“Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O’Reilly Media in 2004^[1], refers to a supposed second generation of Internet-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users.”

Definition from Wikipedia, Web 2.0 Entry [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0]. Retrieved on 20 November 2006.

What is a blog?

Wikipedia defines a blog as, “A weblog (usually shortened to blog, but occasionally spelled web log or weblog) is a web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles, most often in reverse chronological order.”

“Blogging is the posting of journal-like pages to a website. While these pages can contain photos or media, they are primarily focused on the easy ability to post written thoughts to a website. The postings are organized chronologically. Typically, a blog “post” can be “commented” on by others, allowing for a dialogue on a the topic of the post. Teachers and educators have used blogs to allow for what is commonly called “peer review,” meaning that students can post writings or assignments to the web, and other students can respond or encourage through the comment feature.

“In a broader and more educational system, blogs are about communicating. You observe your experience, reflect on it, and then write about it. Other people read your reflections, respond from their perspectives by commenting or writing their own blog article. You read their perspectives, often learn something through their eyes, and write some more.

1. Blogging is about reading and writing.
2. Literacy is about reading and writing.
3. Blogging is about literacy. (dfw)“

Quote from: Support Blogging, Educational Blogging. [http://supportblogging.wikispaces.com/Educational+Blogging] Retrieved on 20 November 2006.

What is a wiki?

“A wiki (IPA: [ˈwɪ.kiː] or [ˈwiː.kiː] [1]) is a type of Web site that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring. The term wiki also can refer to the collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that facilitates the operation of such a Web site, or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (an original wiki), WikiWikiWeb, and on-line encyclopedias such as Wikipedia.”

Definition from Wikipedia, Wiki Entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki] Retrieved on 17 November 2006.