Reflecting on Web 2.0

In a recent video featured on YouTube, Michael Wesch states that "the machine is us."  We are the new internet.  Through Web 2.0, we can connect to other people around the world.  The internet is no longer a one way street.  We can now collaborate with other users, argue and compare ideas, show pictures and videos of our cultures, and organize all the information that we normally view into a single page.  XML and RSS Feeds allow someone to effectively organize many different news feeds into a single page. 

What is very interesting is how many people are unfamiliar with the term Web 2.0. and its meaning.  My background is in Computer Science and Mathematics and I was very unfamiliar with this technology until I started using iGoogle last semester.  If I am behind the times, what does that say about other computer users?  As Web 2.0. becomes more popular and spreads to more and more internet users, I feel it is worth it to think about the potential uses and upside of this technology in teaching and learning.  Currently similar technology is being used for course management systems and/or distance learning, but where else and in what capacity can this Web 2.0. technology assist with teaching and learning?  I think it will be a fun and interesting journey to find out.