The internet has come a long way, and it
is quite clear to me that it is one of the world’s greatest and most fascinating
inventions, furthermore, this tool has tremendously changed the way we live,
whether we accept it or not. The way we teach, learn, buy, sell and so on would
never be the same. The Internet has enhanced the performances of many services,
and today, we are going to talk about the WEB
(probably the most powerful communication media the world has ever known), specifically
about web 1.0, web 2.0, and web 3.0.
I shall briefly depict the concepts,
objectives and differences and similarities of these three indispensable tools.
Web
1.0 was created mainly for personal and
institutional use. It is a static page with the main intention of publishing
information. Everything was available online. Accessibility was permanent an instantaneous
at the same time. It was a fundamental change, but it was, or is, limited in
dimension. Many experts refer to it as a “read only-web.” There is very little user
interaction or content contribution. There is no real interaction on this page.
It is designed by programmers and one needs, or needed, prior knowledge to use it. There is
also very limited contact with the webmaster. It is very handy for surfers who
are just navigating the internet reading for information. It is basically
used by those institutions, like government institutions, who are only
interested in giving information, not in any kind of interaction whatsoever
with browsers. Also, there is centralization of authority. The WWW is a typical
example of the web 1.0.
Web
2.0 was started in 2004. It is a social network that implies the
decentralization of authority. It is personal
and dynamic, and unlike web 1.0, it allows a great deal of interaction with
users. There is interaction between webmasters and users. It is an improved
version of the www, and its main features are to provide and facilitate
information in a dynamic environment. Experts call it the “read-write-publish
web.” It allows readers to be very
active. It is real-time-open communication, and the user can participate by
generating information, constructing knowledge, creating, and sharing. The
participant determines the outcome. The users contribute the information.
Without users, there would be no such tools as facebook and so on. It allows
you to be more organized and innovative as well. It is a move away from static
websites. Web 2.0 is an advertiser’s paradise because you can also create
websites for free, and it offers you the opportunity to create your own site. Some
amazing developments of web 2.0 are Twitter, youtube, eZineArticles, Flickr,
and so on.
Web
3.0 is
a semantic web of linked data. It is intelligent and omnipresent, and it is
the continuation of existing techniques. Semantic web is quite difficult, and,
according to Berners-Lee explanation, it is a “read-write-execute web.” It is its intelligence, in a human manner, that converts
data into useful information. It links the gap between human users and
computerized applications. Semantics add extra information to help you with the
meaning of information. It implies relationship, from one thing to another to
build context for meaning. Everything is linked. Amazon and Last Sound are
examples of this system.
When relating this to ELT, it is quite clear that teachers need to become literate in this field because we would be at a great disadvantage if we do not. As far as I can see, these tools are of absolute importance to conduct any kind of remote classes. Due to our globalized world, English learning and teaching is quickly becoming a necessity in many parts of the world, and we teachers would be obliged to begin offering distance education, and so on. It is a rapidly changing world because of the technological evolution, and we need to get to the top, and stay on top via these gadgets.
I hope I was able to clarify some doubts you may have had on the above topics.
Please click on the following links to
watch the video or read for further information on these concepts.
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