Web 2.0 connects people. Concern is that they’ll stay connected to home and not
experience new culture. Preventing them from accessing internet is a losing battle.
Instead use Web 2.0 to connect to new culture.

For each technology, I’m looking at two principal groups

• Connect before with language classes or once there

• Students abroad resource for perspective students

Podcasting

What is it? The audio version of blogging. If you post an mp3 file to a blog, it can be
a podcast. You can synch to them to an mp3 player, though despite the name, most
listen to them on a computer.

http://languages.oberlin.edu/hisp305/spring06/los_podcasts/

Language classes

• Partner with a class abroad. Students each post podcasts in the target language.
Receive feedback and comments from their partner.

While abroad

• Student journaling - Whether with just text on a blog or as podcasts

• Interviews for student projects

• Part of digital storytelling, coming later

Social networks

What are they? Social networking sites connect people with common interests. Groups can
be created around common interests. They usually include a person blog that can
be shared with friends or made public.

Language classes

• Student complete writing assignments as journal within the social network

• Receive assignments to read about and join groups in the
community and follow journals of people in the community.

Once abroad

• The social networking sites are a great way to meet people with
similar interests. Different sites are more popular in
certain parts of the world. Tip for students, there is always a
group looking to practice English. Join them for their meeting
and find a language partner. They’ll speak English at the
meeting, but they’ll have many more opportunities to practice the
local language once they start getting together at other times.

Examples

• http://mixi.jp

• http://fr.skyrock.com/blog/

• http://www.studivz.net/

• http://valleywag.com/tech/data-junkie/the-world-map-of-social-networks-273201.php (a bit outdated now, but good for getting started)

• www.meetup.com (International)

YouTube

What is it? An enormous video sharing site. Has gotten
to be so large that it has forced discussion on
internet traffic as a whole, including “network neutrality”.

Because of YouTube there is an infinite number of videos
with authentic language. So many, that now we can
find videos that involve locations where our students
will potentially study abroad. (search Uni Bremen)

Videoblogging – Students can upload videos then embed in
their blog without worrying about storage.

Localized versions and clones

http://rutube.ru/

http://fr.youtube.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:YouTube_localization.png

Skype

What is it? It basically turns your computer into a really cheap
phone with great audio.

• In most internet cafes

• Popular around the world

• Can call phones or other computers

Language classes

• Find a partner class or individual language partners for your students http://www.language-exchanges.org

Once Abroad

• Skype accounts will work anywhere, unlike a cell phone.
Everyone can stay in touch for free with campus.
Speak with advisors, perspective students, library, and IT.

Digital Storytelling

What is it? Technology has greatly simplified the production of
all kind of media: text, audio, video.

Language classes

Students create “stories” about the location abroad,
its history, or its culture.

http://carlislehistory.dickinson.edu/?page_id=304
(local history, but the same could be done abroad)

NITLE has digital storytelling workshops. More information here:
http://apps.nitle.org/wikifarm/research/index.php/Web2/0Storytelling

Games can also be a form of digital storytelling.

ARGs

or Alternate Reality Games have students play in the real

world. Show a World Without Oil,

http://worldwithoutoil.org/

Students can create a game based on

any scenario for language classes or abroad. This is a large project,

though not technically difficult.

For meeting people abroad,

ARGs

can be a lot of fun.

http://www.cruelgame.com/

ARG guru and

blogger,

http://www.avantgame.com/