The+Social+Web+-++Learning+Together

Our use of the Internet has evolved from a tool used to publish to a means of sharing ideas and creating joint works. This collaborative process has changed the way we view instruction and learning. The social web is based on the premise that there are many //friends// of the users with similar thoughts and interests waiting to connect and share. Those f//riends// have other //friends// who can be connected (//friends of another friend/FOAF).// This vast network of people and ideas is continually changing. Obviously, the impact on education is significant. Learning has not only become collaborative, but is an easygoing conversation among many.
 * Chapter Summary/Key Points**

Social interactions, such as blogs and wikis, focus on the construction of meaning and content. Some tools on the Web concentrate on establishing connections. 43Things.com lets you create a list of 43 things you or your students want to achieve. Creation of this list connects you to others who have chosen the same pursuits. Social online bookmarking sites permit people to save links, annotate and organize them, then share them. Two examples of social bookmarking are Furl.net and del.icio.us. Both sites provide free services that teachers and students can access on the web. Furl concentrates on content, del.icio.us. is designed to help share links.

Traditionally, research has been viewed as a solitary and tedious process. Social online bookmarking and RSS changes the way students obtain and share information. The collaborative process encourages students to utilize and expand upon the work of others, as well as, fostering the concept of //life-long learning//.
 * Applications**

How would you utilize social online bookmarking for your professional development? Do you have any reservations about utilizing an online bookmarking site with your class?
 * Questions**