March 2008 Volume 11, Number 4
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Writingmatrix: Connecting Students with Blogs, Tags, and Social Networking

Vance Stevens
Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
<vancestevgmail.com>

Nelba Quintana
Ecuela de Lenguas, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
<nelbaqgmail.com>

Rita Zeinstejer
Asociación Rosarina de Cultura Inglés, Rosario, Argentina
<ritazeinstejer.com>

Saša Sirk
Tehničnišolski Center Nova Gorica, Slovenia
<sasarthand.com>

Doris Molero
Universidad Dr. Rafel Belloso Chacin, Maracaibo, Venezuela
<dorismoleroyahoo.com>

Carla Arena
Casa Thomas Jefferson BiNational Center, Brasilia-DF, Brazil
<carlaarenagmail.com>

Abstract

This paper describes an extensive online project, Writingmatrix [http://writingmatrix.wikispaces.com], involving several key elements essential to collaboration in Web 2.0, such as aggregation, tagging, and social networking. Participant teachers in several different countries--Argentina, Venezuela, and Slovenia--had their adult students at various levels of English competency interact using blogs and other Web tools, including RSS feed readers and Technorati [http://technorati.com]. The teachers describe their respective settings, how they got their students started in communicating through blogging and social networking, and how in future they intend to expand the Writingmatrix experience.

Keywords: EFL, ESL, Web 2.0, blogging, tags, social networking

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