My Thoughts on Web 2.0
Back in the days of high school, I remember wanting a computer so bad. Windows95 had an awesome release party all over the news featuring the Rolling Stones, and here I was creating all my high school masterpieces using my infamous Brother typewriter. Alas, my family was too poor to purchase a computer. How I envied those that could cut and paste, while I had to physically erase with a pencil eraser. Those were the days...jk
10 years later and I'm already on my second long term relationship with a Dell XPS laptop computer. Wow, a lot happens in just ten years time. Come to think of it, a lot happens in just a year's time, a few month's time. The computer world is rapidly changing as technology improves. Information is posted everywhere, so much that it can become overwhelming trying to sort out reliable info from some not so reliable sources.
Web 2.0 is a fantastic resource for collaborating; this application of knowledge ensures lifelong learning. Thus, classroom teachers should embrace all the web has to offer. Students need to be engaged through today's technology, since they will be responsible for using these tools to create tomorrow's inventions.
Preparing our students for beyond graduation includes proper technology training. Blogs, wikis, and podcasting can all be used as resource materials for kids. The more they are exposed to content and contribute to that content, the more engaged they are in their own education. Not to mention, these types of communication save many a tree (inner tree hugger coming out) and much time (inner procrastinator coming out). :)
I hope to use a blog, wiki, and eventually create a website with an active discussion board for my biology kids. I believe this will reinforce key objectives while preparing them for what awaits them in the real world. I also think constant feedback from the kids will, in turn, help streamline my lessons to their current pace and allow me to revisit any misconceptions they have over the course material. This would empower me to be an effective teacher that's on the ball and has the respect and trust of my students.
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2 comments:
Another great aspect of the web 2.0 environment is the opportunity it provides for students to have an authentic audience for their work. Students take much more care and make more effort when they know that their work will be posted online for all to see.
I know what you mean about trying to keep up with the computer age. I received my Bachelor's degree in 1998, and so much has changed just as far as college life goes. There was no such thing as "on-line courses". I could not register on-line. Now there are so many on-line courses and you can register with just a click of a button on your computer. This is a main reason why I registered for this course. I wanted to learn about blogging and new computer technologies for educational and entertainment purposes. Hope you are enjoying this class.
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