Amber-+Moving+Torward+Web+2.0

Moving towards Web 2.0 in K-12 Education by Steve Hargadon Notes By Amber Henrey

Defines Web 2.0 as “a platform upon which content is not only consumed but also created.”

A dramatic change in our relationship to information. Cost of producing written materials is now essential zero.

We can now be immersed in the conversations that used to be reserved for “authorities” in the matter.

“Most students are already actively involved in this content creation and conversation outside of school.”

“Minefield or an unparalleled learning environments”

“Diverse education” similar to technology in the classroom

Easy assessment methods

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been dumped into technology in education with little gains in academia.

“Computers purchased and maintained largely by school business offices, relatively divorced from teaching methodologies, and either not in a condition to allow overworked teachers to change their teaching methods.

“Engagement; …authentic nature of the work (blogging responses) rather than being required assignments.”

“Authenticity; peer audience…both the work and the audience are more authentic.”

Participation; actually being a contributor to the world’s body of knowledge.

Openness and access to information; the ability to look something up has never been greater. (Propriety significantly diminishes- makes me pause and think about what does that do to the ethics of students taking others ideas and work and calling it their own?)

Collaboration; unparalleled ability to build or participate in personal learning networks and communities of interest and practice. - And significantly more opportunities for the wrong kind of collaborations. I.e. the bully issues.

Creativity: in the midst of the greatest increase of creative capability in the history of the world. A regular student can write, film and edit a video….

Passionate Interest and personal Expression; Allows students to build an online portfolio.

Discussion; forums (antagonistic” reminds me of the cranky anonymous “Trolls even here on our VCStar pages. Cynics and pot stirrers just to “have fun” unwilling to listen to the opposite opinions.

Asynchronous Contribution; The ability to add to discussions from home at your own convenience. (Whose to say it is authentic and their own?

Proactivity; its what the job force wants- students who are actively engaged and able to work independently at all hours. Hmmm how many teachers bring home their work to do? How much of that is tech based?

Critical thinking diversity of opinions good adult mentors to make sure that students are not led to conclusions through the wrong routes (i.e. Wikipedia or opinions online)

The learning curve as learning changes.

Changes in the teacher’s role. Academic rigor being lost in a world of easy creation and limited constraints.

Devoted adults helping to mentor and guide students.

Social networking has potential

Ubiquitous computing. Equal and even in schools?

Teachers will need time and training to use these tools. Where’s the money going? Will there be agreements in how to adopt. Is that where teachers will want to spend their time? I don’t see my staff wanting that when we have ELD deficits. It will be an uphill battle. My school’s needs vs. those somewhere else…

Legal liabilities

Information revolutions don’t come with a manual. It will take time to develop a “playbook’

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How can adults enter the “adolescent zones of adolescent social networks? How can adults keep up when these tools and practices change so rapidly? Wherever the adults go the adolescents will avoid. – IE Myspace-facebook-twiter- now the new ones…(can’t remember the name because I can’t keep up!)

Someone makes appoint that I translate (albeit not sure it is accurate) is modernizing education worth turning our schools even more into assembly lines…machines…conveyor belts…robots doing the teaching much like what has happened in so many of our factories? Is that truly the way to go? How about the way that technology has made it possible for our jobs to be sent overseas…is that the model we really wan to follow? People answering phone calls across the Atlantic…as teachers? Has that been good?

(“For you technology is a tool, for us it is a foundation!” um yikes! So they can’t learn without it????)

Schools struggle with technological support. How much time is wasted when you have to constantly put out tech “fires” power cables, internet, and permissions…oh my!

“Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns. By Dr Clayton Christensen: the traditional government ran education system would in the near future be disrupted by the innovation of computer-based learning.

Do videos need to be on youtube to be creative? Does art have to be online to make it meaningful?

(What kind of feedback do I see on YouTube? Um really calling names and swearing = feedback? I don’t think so!)

Not a black and white world anymore. Technology = Technicolor.

I believe he’s hit the nail on the head. It takes teachers to teach. Technology (Web 2.0) is a tool. If teachers must use it then schools need to provide the training and help create a game plan, pedagogy, before jumping on the bandwagon. Otherwise it will fail and it will be a waste of time. Without the teachers, technology is moot.
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