Reflection from the last Web Conference

There are lots of Web 2.0 tools floating around the internet these days.  At one point there was the standard software packages you would load onto your computer like Microsoft Office.  Since the internet has expanded their market share, the old software programs are not as necessary as they once were.  All you have to do to prove this is to look at the number of schools who are using Google Docs in their classroom.  Not only are they user friendly and just as effective as their predecessors, but they are also normally free.  These also aren't your normal low budget tools of olden days.  You can look at Prezi and see numerous improvements and twists on the old PowerPoint thought process.  With the advent of the Web 2.0 tools, you can often find better solutions to problems that would have cost you a lot of money in the past.  For instance, HandBrake offers you arguable the best video converter out there.  In the past, getting a section of video to show a class was a pain, but now it's rather painless.  Wolfram Alpha allows you to make a simple internet search something worthy of turning in.  Xtranormal has been so popular that commercials are now even using it.  The number of web tools out there is simply staggering, but I could not leave this post alone without mentioning the usefulness of keepvid.com.  Having the ability to save a video is valuable for both students and teachers alike, and this is something that is quite handy for everyone.  Last but not least, here are some Web 2.0 tools that most of us take for granted:  Netflix, Skype, Animoto, Blogger, YouTube, and Facebook.  This is how the internet has changed most of our lives within the last ten years.