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=**WEB 2.0 and culture**=



New technologies are changing our lives faster than ever before. Children growing up in this changed and changing environment have a different sense of normal than previous generations. Here's a closer look at some of the ways web 2.0 is affecting young people today.

Web 2.0 and student motivation
Motivation is the most significant factor in learning. Teachers hear from everywhere that the increased use of technology, especially web 2.0, will energize students to learn.  In this video by Annenberg Media, see how student writers are motivated by technology. Mark Prensky believes that the current generation of students, the first one to grow up with digital media, differs from previous generations in significant ways. While many students today are digital natives, their teachers are at best digital immigrants. The educational system needs to better understand and reach its new customers in order to keep them engaged and motivated.

Web 2.0 and social skills
With the increase of Web 2.0 tools and social media over the last decade, there has also arisen the concern of using proper social skills when participating in blogs, forums, and other social websites. This concern and therefore discussion of decreasing social skills with the increase of social media can be seen in many different venues and formats. When considering the digital world and the socially correct way to manage when online, at the least, three areas of awareness should be addressed. The three areas that will be mentioned in this publication are cyber citizenship, cyber bullying, and community and collaboration. There are also many other avenues to take when thinking about Web 2.0 and social skills, keep in mind this is just a beginning.

Web 2.0 and reading/ writing scores
Has web 2.0 changed students' reading and writing skills? Are these changes for the better? Can we determine which changes are beneficial and which are damaging to our students? Does "literacy" in web 2.0 need a new definition that takes into account the new ways that students read and write? Experts are divided on the issue. an article in [|EducationNews.org] describes work by Professor David Nicholas of the University College London which demonstrates that people who grew up with the internet search for information differently than older adults who grew up before the age of the internet. An article in the [|Atlantic magazine] discusses how even adults who grew up before the internet have felt changes in their ability to read long, complicated texts such as novels. A study by the [|Pew Internet & American Life Project] found that many teens write a considerable amount yet do not consider this to be "writing" on par with writing for school. The study also found that students who blog are more prolific writers than non-bloggers.

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