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. Commonly known as Web 2.0, 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.____________________________________________
To complete Thing 1 you must:
A. Watch the video A Vision of K-12 Students Today
B. Read the article "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0"
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A. Watch the video A Vision of K-12 Students Today
(note: if you have a problem viewing the screen, click here to link to the video directly)
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?
B. 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.
Now think about how the article and the video relate 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? You will be asked to reflect on these questions in the blog you will create in Thing 2.
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.
How very motivating both the video and article were to me! The video is exactly how I feel and express to colleagues...and the article certainly makes me realize that there is so much I need, and want, to learn to be able to give my "digital learners" what they need.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both the video and the article in that this is how we should be teaching and that this is how our students learn. They need to use cell phones, ipods, etc. My problem comes in how can we merge the time we need to address standardized tests and assessments and still allow our students to blog, collaborate, podcast and wiki. And how to we provide this technology with shrinking budgets.
ReplyDeleteTerri
After watching the video and reading the article, I am a little overwhelmed with how much I don't know. At the same time, I am excited to learn what the digital world is all about. I can't wait to get started. I am wondering the same thing as Terri about finding the time to do some of these things with students.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about learning more on how to engage my students through the use of technology, that not only excites them, but simultaneously educates them...it's the perfect storm/ learning experience!!
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ReplyDeleteWow -- I feel obsolete. It is mind-boggling to think about how different students today are compared to students of the past. This is such important information for teachers to be able to help students be successful in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteA Vision of K-12 Students Today was part of one of the Canter courses I just finished. I found it incredibly powerful!
In my head, as I read the article, I kept saying, "That's so cool." Each paragraph elicited that or another similar comment.
I appreciate the comments posted so far. They reflect my feelings that teaching 21st century learners is very exciting but also overwhelming.
Finally getting started here...I agree with so many of thoughts posted so far. I, too, feel quite a bit computer illiterate and I need to get caught up to speed, especially since my 3 kids are far more advanced than I am! Also wondering like Terri, how do we make this work with all the testing, testing, testing??
ReplyDeleteThe article and the video gave me much to think about as I start this journey through technology tools. THe power of seeing each of those kids' faces as they held up the sign ~Engage ME!~ has caused many questions that I need to ponder. I have witnessed in my own home my two teenagers dependency on their computers, ipod and phones. And now I am rethinking my 17 year old's comments about school being so boring this past year. Perhaps, he is one of those students who is not engaged and making the most of his learning!
ReplyDeleteI have seen the video before, but still feel its strong message everytime. The article was a real mind-opener showing the possibility of harnessing digital tools for education, but I think that schools always get bogged down by the practical details and concerns about security, access and funding. And I was very happy to see that the school librarian was mentioned in the article.
ReplyDeleteI know that young people use technology constantly for individual entertainment and socializing -- using technology to locate and evaluate useful information is not fun, it is mentally taxing. Because there's so much info "out there" from all manner of "sources," the first thing kids need to be taught is to be critical about their sources and the info they choose to learn and share with others.
ReplyDelete