Web+2.0

The following is an essay that I wrote on the concept of Web 2.0 and its effects in the classroom. I chose and analyzed several applications of Web 2.0 technology, and thought about how I might use similar technologies in my classroom. I found the exercise to be very interesting and exciting, as the potential uses of Web 2.0 technology are far-reaching and have profound implications for how information and instruction are delivered in a classroom setting. I hope to have the opportunity to use what I learned in this analysis to put together strong web-based lessons and to incorporate web sites and multimedia in creative and inspiring ways in my lessons.

Web 2.0 and the associated trends in technology have already had a huge impact on education. Implementing techniques that use web 2.0 methods and technologies is perhaps the primary focus of education today. The possible ways that Web 2.0 can revolutionize education are numerous and constantly evolving. Today, social networks and individually produced websites with customizable content are allowing educators to connect their students to each other, their school as a whole, and the rest of the community. I find the possible effects of Web 2.0 implementation to be extremely promising; a teacher can more easily encourage student participation when there are interactive tools and platforms like Wikispaces that allow students to express themselves and to be a part of the learning process instead of being passive receivers of knowledge. In addition, the teacher is more able to connect to and interact with students through the internet, both during and after class. In addition, Web 2.0 can streamline the education process by helping to organize learning content, easily incorporating multimedia, and facilitating interaction between students, teachers and students, and teachers and parents. Most of the applications of Web 2.0 are positive, but as with any new technology there are dangers and pitfalls. Focusing too much on computers and multimedia can depersonalize learning. A teacher is often successful because he or she is able to connect well with his or her students. Hiding behind a wall of videos and technology may make learning more fun, but it cannot replace the value of a good, dedicated teacher. In addition, it may not be a good idea to create too much reliance on technology in young learners. Our society today runs on technology, but assuming that it will always be that way may be a mistake. It is important not to forget how to do things without the aid of high technology, as losing the ability to operate without computers makes a society more vulnerable to disruption if for some reason that technology becomes unusable. The first Web 2.0 tool that I've selected is called '280 Slides', it is a presentation tool. The site allows users to generate slide shows with either their own content or web based content from sites such as Youtube or Google. In addition, users can easily download their shows onto any computer with internet access and display them anywhere at any time. Presentations can be downloaded to power point from the site's servers, shared via email, or published online. In addition, well-designed tools allow for the easy customization of presentations, even for students who are new to using Web 2.0 technologies. With this application, I would like to have students create a multimedia presentation in the field while working on a project, then present their findings using the website both at school to the rest of the class and at home to their parents. Having the students create their presentations on the fly would familiarize them with field techniques and how work is done in many fields today, and give them ideas as to how to use the technology themselves. Infoplease.com is another application that I would like to use in the classroom. This site serves as a consolidated dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and atlas among other things. The site organizes information in such a way that more relevant information is displayed prominently, with other potentially useful information from other areas displayed for possible use. The site also spices things up by including more fun ways of finding information, such as a tool that allows users to search for interesting historical events by time period, and crossword puzzles. I would like to use this site as a research aid for projects in the classroom. The site's search tools are well organized and easy to use, and the site has an extremely broad base of information. In addition, the site will present relevant information to a user who initiates a search on a somewhat related topic. This could add a lot to student research projects by giving them additional connections between the topic of their research and different areas of knowledge.

Another tool that I found to be particularly useful is called 'Studentpublishing.com'. This site offers tools for students or an entire class to design and publish their own book using completely user generated content. The site allowes a user to go through the process of writing, illustrating, putting together, and even publishing their own storybook. The site even goes as far as allowing a teacher to order a hard copy of the book in paperback. I think that this tool would be great for a classroom project. Students would take on the roles of writers, illustrators, editors, and publishers while working together to produce a final project in the form of a completed storybook. Each group of students would learn about and participate in every stage of the process while specializing in a particular aspect of the publication process. Upon completion, students would not only share their finished product, but would talk about what they learned about their particular role. The site 'Targetmap.com' offers tools for creating one's own maps using your own data. Users can easily display data using any map they can find, and then publish their map online, incorporate it into a presentation, or compare it to other maps. This tool would be great for creating scientific presentations and organizing data that students themselves have collected. I would like to use this site to have students catalog plant or animal species in their communities and create usable maps of local organisms' distribution. The students' data could then be compared to or incorporated into the data collected by the rest of the class and published online as a scientific study of a local ecological niche. This would teach students about the collaborative nature of scientific projects, as well as the process of collecting and organizing data in an understandable way. The last site that I'm looking at is called 'Polleverywhere.com'. This site enables a user to create a poll that can be participated in over computers or mobile devices. The site allows either students or teachers to incorporate a poll into a presentation, or allows a teacher to poll students at any time regarding any issue. This tool would be great for generating classroom feedback on student projects, administer tests and quizzes, or give students a fun break from studying. I would like to use this tool in the classroom to teach students how to properly and respectfully give feedback on student presentations. A teacher could have students come up with their own poll questions regarding other students' presentations. Students who come up with relevant and respectful poll questions (and answers) could be given extra credit towards their own presentation.