I was a little overwhelmed when I first saw the list of Web 2.0 Award winners, purely because of the magnitude of the choices. At first, I was tempted to take the easy way out and choose something like Hulu or Facebook that I am already familiar with. However, I realized that the point of this activity is to explore the Web 2.0 tools and maybe find a new favorite website. So I chose Yelp.com, solely because I thought the name was intriguing. And guess what, I found a website that I have already bookmarked:]
Yelp is an online reviews service for local eateries and attractions. They have reviews for almost anything imaginable, from restaurants to shopping to hotels to nightlife. It is so simple to write a review; all you do is create a free profile and start critiquing! If you are reading a review and think the reviewer is funny or you respect their opinion, you can "follow" them, just like on Twitter. Then, anytime they post a review, you will be alerted via your profile. Yelp rates attractions from 1-5 based on user's ratings and reviews. Then, the place with the highest rating is moved to the top of that category, so you can easily tell which restaurant or clothing store has been rated the best in Clarksville. You can type in any zip code and instantly find attractions anywhere in the country. Yelp would be very useful for planning a trip. Just type in the zip code, and you have a list of the best places to eat, shop, and go for entertainment in town! Actually, I plan on using Yelp to plan my spring break trip to Gulf Shores. No staying in dumps for me:]
While Yelp may seem like it would be more for your personal life than a school setting, I can think of many ways it can be used as an educational tool in the classroom. Students can be required to create a review about a local restaurant and post it on Yelp. This would help their writing skills, since the entire world can view what they wrote, hopefully they would want their review to sound educated. It could also be used in a lesson on being objective. It is easy to bash a place that you didn't like. However, a review is much more credible if it lists the things that need improving, but also has a positive spin. Another way Yelp could be used is in a geography lesson. Students could be assigned a city such as Dallas, TX or Seattle, WA. They would have to find a hotel, restaurant, cultural attraction, etc. that best represented that city. Students could then create an itinerary for a trip to their particular city, or even create a travel brochure. The ideas are endless!
I am glad I got a chance to see different Web 2.0 tools that I otherwise probably would have never known existed. After browsing through the list, I have already found many more sites that I can't wait to explore!
KBearden:]
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