1. Michelle Martin
Web 2.0 Review: Instagram
Instagram is a great and free Web 2.0 tool! Anyone that has a smartphone or tablet can
use it. It promotes collaboration because it links posts directly to other collaborative social media
sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The collaboration and communication element of Instagram
is much more effective because it is mobile. This mobile app allows you to record and share
short clips up to fifteen seconds in length, as well as, upload or take pictures and add effects. Just
like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram allows you to create a profile where others can view your
photos, short clips and comment. This can help others see your interest and much more.
Recently, Instagram promoted collaboration even more by allowing you to send direct messages
with videos or pictures to anyone of your followers. This allows you to not only make certain
things public but also have effective discussions while utilizing the pictures and video clips you
can take. For example, if I was working with a partner on a poster and presentation project, I
could send them pictures of our progress and ask for feedback or advice without being in the
same area. This could be extremely beneficial with group projects. Also, with the ease of access
to posting things on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites you could spread information
faster by posting to multiple sites at a time!
Instagram would be a great feature to use in the classroom as a portfolio type function or
group project collaboration element. By having a class Instagram account you can have students
post pictures or videos of projects with a description and tagged location of school so that others
may see. This would be awesome to keep parents engaged in student learning because they
would not just hear from their child what they did at school. They instead would be able to see,
like, and comment on their child’s work.

2. How does it work? It’s Easy!! First, you download the app, open the app and create an
account. You create an account by pressing the sign up button and filling out the appropriate
information that it asks, including email and password. Then you have the option of following
friends from Twitter, Facebook or by simply searching usernames, making it easy to find others
you know. The home button on the bottom left hand side is how you access your news feed,
which has post from all of the people your are following. The star shaped object beside of the
home button is the popular tab. Here you can search hashtags or usernames or just view most
liked photos and videos. The camera button in the center is where you can take or upload videos
and pictures to your profile. Next to it is a button with a heart shape on it. Here you will be able
to see all of your notifications: who liked a post, who is recently following you and more. The far
right button at the bottom is to access your profile and make changes when necessary. To like a
picture or video clip simply double tap in the center of it until a heart appears indicating you
liked it or simply pressing the like button under the photo. To comment on post use the comment
bubble icon under the photo. My new favorite feature the direct box is located in the top right
hand corner of your news feed. Here you can upload pictures and videos and send it like a text
message to a someone you are following. Overall this app is very easy to use and helps to easily
connect to friends and people around the world. The real time application of Instagram is that
you are instantaneously notified when someone likes or comments on a post, started following
you or when someone direct messages you or tags you in a photo. This makes the functionality
of Instagram current and fast!