I was watching the local news station the other night (YNN) and they had a short segment on using web-based technologies in New York State school districts....well, that got my attention...I replayed the segment and watched again. They mentioned a study and showed the letters NYSSBA on the television screen. It was almost too easy to do a Google search with those letters and find a report by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) called "Hey, You, Get Onto My Cloud". The report contains information based on results from a survey that went out to school district and BOCES "technology directors" in New York State and interviews with several school district technology directors. Per the report, there are a number of factors that drive the use of web-based technologies in NY, including:
"In a digital age when kids are communicating via Facebook and Twitter, school districts understand that one way to make technology relevant is to employ the same types of technologies in the classroom. Web-based technologies can help students learn at their own pace and knowledge level by tailoring instruction to their individual needs, giving them access to instructional content and resources 24 hours a day, and preparing them for careers in a global economy." (p.2)
The report contains survey data results and, what I liked most...a list of examples from the school districts of using cloud computing to enhance learning. Some of those examples include using videoconferencing to conduct virtual field trips, creating wikis, and using Moodle (a free, web-based instructional program) to create websites where students may access for information, to join chat rooms, and to join discussion groups.
I think it's great that schools are beginning to (or continuing to) embrace and use Web 2.0 for instructional purposes. Seems like the sky is the limit with cloud computing and Web 2.0 functionality!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Social Networking for Educators
Hello, all. It's week 3 of blogging and I'd like to introduce an article, Educational Networking: The important role Web 2.0 will play in education, by Steve Hargadon. I realize the author is selling a product (a new platform his company is offering), but I still think it was a good read...especially for a newbie to the formal definition of web 2.0 like myself. Hargadon explains Web 2.0 as follows:
"Web 2.0 has moved the Internet from our traditional one-way information flow to a two-way conversation in which the 3 R's have been supplanted by the 3 C's: Contributing, Collaborating, Creating - through mediums like blogs, wikis, and twittering."
Hargadon uses the term educational networking, which is social networking in the context of education. Hargadon says "Web 2.0 plays to the strengths of educators - curiosity and love of learning - by opening the doors to collaboration and participation". So that is what I'd like to focus on in this blog. We realize that Web 2.0 technology has already changed the lives of students, as it's how they now approach technology and learning (even if banned in the schools), but what about the educators? There is a real need - and opportunity - for educators to use what Hargadon calls "educational networking" (I might prefer the term social networking) to learn about the technology themselves and collaborate among a large network. In order to teach something, you have to first understand it, correct? Same can go with using new technologies and I think it's a great idea for educators to use Web 2.0 for professional development and collaboration. Does anybody have experience with this? What are your thoughts? BTW, Hargadon says LearnCentral is free - so anybody use it?
Reference:
Hargadon, Steve. Educational Networking: The Important Role Web 2.0 Will Play in Education.
"Web 2.0 has moved the Internet from our traditional one-way information flow to a two-way conversation in which the 3 R's have been supplanted by the 3 C's: Contributing, Collaborating, Creating - through mediums like blogs, wikis, and twittering."
Hargadon uses the term educational networking, which is social networking in the context of education. Hargadon says "Web 2.0 plays to the strengths of educators - curiosity and love of learning - by opening the doors to collaboration and participation". So that is what I'd like to focus on in this blog. We realize that Web 2.0 technology has already changed the lives of students, as it's how they now approach technology and learning (even if banned in the schools), but what about the educators? There is a real need - and opportunity - for educators to use what Hargadon calls "educational networking" (I might prefer the term social networking) to learn about the technology themselves and collaborate among a large network. In order to teach something, you have to first understand it, correct? Same can go with using new technologies and I think it's a great idea for educators to use Web 2.0 for professional development and collaboration. Does anybody have experience with this? What are your thoughts? BTW, Hargadon says LearnCentral is free - so anybody use it?
Reference:
Hargadon, Steve. Educational Networking: The Important Role Web 2.0 Will Play in Education.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A Key Aspect of Web 2.0 - Interpersonal Computing
Hi, all! I watched the You Tube video again from my last post and am laughing out loud by what the facilitator, Christopher Barnatt, says about defining Web 2.0: "Defining exactly what is meant by Web 2.0 is about as difficult as nailing jelly to the wall". Whew - that makes me feel a little bit better about not being an expert on the topic.
This week I'm going to focus on one key aspect of Web 2.0, interpersonal computing. Examples include social networking, wikis, blogs, and on-line video. I know that many students are really into using social networks like Facebook or MySpace. I am wondering at what age it starts? I'm thinking teenage years and up but perhaps some children are interested and allowed to join social networks at an earlier age? My oldest daughter is ten and she is interested in social networking but we have not allowed her an account or even explored the opportunity to see if any rules or guidelines regarding age apply. I'd like to explore how social networks can be used for educational or training purposes. Many K-12 schools have rules banning the access of social networks during school hours. However, there is an opportunity for application. I found a good article from an Ohio newspaper, Schools Get on the Web 2.0 Bandwagon. This article talks about how some schools and some teachers are now using the technology rather than cracking down on its use, as they may have done in the past. This sparks a block or teach debate in the schools and also brings up issues around keeping students safe in cyberspace. I especially like the example of students communicating with pen pals from across the world via blogging. When I was in middle school, I had a pen pal from England but had to communicate via good 'ole snail mail. I can imagine how much more interesting it would have been to communicate via blogs and include links, photos, and videos. This article also has a nice, basic glossary of Web 2.0 terms and examples. Anybody want to Twitter about that glossary? If so, you'll have to teach me how!
This week I'm going to focus on one key aspect of Web 2.0, interpersonal computing. Examples include social networking, wikis, blogs, and on-line video. I know that many students are really into using social networks like Facebook or MySpace. I am wondering at what age it starts? I'm thinking teenage years and up but perhaps some children are interested and allowed to join social networks at an earlier age? My oldest daughter is ten and she is interested in social networking but we have not allowed her an account or even explored the opportunity to see if any rules or guidelines regarding age apply. I'd like to explore how social networks can be used for educational or training purposes. Many K-12 schools have rules banning the access of social networks during school hours. However, there is an opportunity for application. I found a good article from an Ohio newspaper, Schools Get on the Web 2.0 Bandwagon. This article talks about how some schools and some teachers are now using the technology rather than cracking down on its use, as they may have done in the past. This sparks a block or teach debate in the schools and also brings up issues around keeping students safe in cyberspace. I especially like the example of students communicating with pen pals from across the world via blogging. When I was in middle school, I had a pen pal from England but had to communicate via good 'ole snail mail. I can imagine how much more interesting it would have been to communicate via blogs and include links, photos, and videos. This article also has a nice, basic glossary of Web 2.0 terms and examples. Anybody want to Twitter about that glossary? If so, you'll have to teach me how!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Introduction to my topic - Web 2.0
Hello, all. My assigned blog topic is web 2.0. All I knew about web 2.0 before this assignment was that it had something to do with various new features of the web. So, I went out to google and searched for a good definition. According to Techterms.com., web 2.0 is the second generation of the World Wide Web and is characterized by new features and new functionalities. View Techterm's Web 2.0 definition if you'd like to read more. The internet has really grown from the "old days" of simply finding a website and reading information on that site and I think I'm a fan of at least some of the new functionalities. In the coming weeks, I'll explore specific features and functionalities but for now, let's get back to my search for a good overview....
Next, my search brought me to You Tube, where I found a video that I believe gives a nice introductory overview. Take a look if you get a chance:
Explaining Web 2.0 video (from ExplainingComputers.com)
For future posts, I'm going to look at what the video notes as the 3 key aspects of Web 2.0: Interpersonal computing, Web services, and Software as a service. I look forward to the journey!
Next, my search brought me to You Tube, where I found a video that I believe gives a nice introductory overview. Take a look if you get a chance:
Explaining Web 2.0 video (from ExplainingComputers.com)
For future posts, I'm going to look at what the video notes as the 3 key aspects of Web 2.0: Interpersonal computing, Web services, and Software as a service. I look forward to the journey!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)