At the end of 2006, Time magazine’s Person of the Year was ‘You'. The cover showed a picture of a computer with an actual mirror in place of the screen, reflecting not only the face of the reader, but also the idea that 2006 was the beginning of the new improved Web. While this article is now nearly six years old, the development of Web 2.0 tools continues. This second generation of web-based services and software is characterized by its user-generated content and its capacity for facilitating collaboration and sharing between users. In the past we were primarily consumers of information but Web 2.0 allows us to also be producers of information using tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and media sharing.
Our tech-savvy students, who have never known life without the Internet, use these new tools daily, but mostly outside of school. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has stated, “Today’s education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn.” When students use 21st Century technologies, they are able to meet their intrinsic needs to form communities, ask questions, and earn audience and attention. Today's students will spend their adult lives in a multitasking, technology-driven, diverse world, and they must arrive equipped to do so.
How can we as educators harness the power of these new technologies to engage and motivate students in the classroom? And how can students effectively use the tools to create, communicate, collaborate?
To begin answering these questions and to complete Thing 1 you must:
A. Read the article, "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0"
B. Watch the video, "Pay Attention"
C. Read the blog post, "Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education"
A. Read this article
"A Day in the Life of Web 2.0" by David Warlick. This article gives an excellent description of the application of Web 2.0 tools in a middle school setting.
B. Watch the video, "Pay Attention"
Watch the following video and think about how it relates to the use of technology in your educational setting. Are you using any of these technologies or are these ideas completely new to you? Could you begin implementing some of the ideas described?
C. Read the blog post, "Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education." See if you recognize some of the trends that Steve Hargadon discusses in this post.
Congratulations! At this point, you've completed Thing 1 and you’re on your way to learning about Web 2.0 and how it can enhance teaching and learning at all levels. Your next step is to complete Thing 2.
I couldn't read the first article as it was blocked by our districts settings. However, the video and blog post was interesting and created an opportunity for reflection on very relevant factors in education today.
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