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. It's about harnessing the collective intelligence of all users to generate information and solve problems. 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) are immersed in the participatory culture of Web 2.0 outside of school, but often are expected to leave these skills at the schoolhouse door. 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.
Early in 2009 the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) published "Leadership for Web 2.0 in Education: Promise and Reality." The study upon which the report is based compiled data from 1,200 schools, polling superintendents, technology directors, and curriculum directors on issues related to the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in districts around the country. Nearly 75% of respondents said that Web 2.0 technologies have been a positive force in the quality of student work and in keeping students engaged in learning. However, there is still a gap between administrators' attitudes toward Web 2.0 and their willingness or ability to make Web 2.0 happen in schools.
How can we as educational leaders in our schools harness the power of these new technologies to engage and motivate students in the classroom? How can teachers and students effectively use the tools to create, communicate, collaborate? 23 Things begins your journey to answer these questions.
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"
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 or your teachers begin implementing some of the ideas described?
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.
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