Advice for Web 2.0 Newbies

I am presenting at the USDLA conference in St. Louis later in the month. My presentation covers characteristics of the "net generation" and how instructors can use Web 2.0 tools to communicate with them.
What advice would you give to teachers who want to incorporate these technologies for the first time? Which tool would start with?

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Permalink Reply by John Thompson on April 12, 2008 at 9:13am

With the quickly proliferating numbers of Web 2.0 apps, it's easy to get overwhelmed, esp. if you're a newbie to Web 2.0. I'd suggest starting by poking and clicking around (go to such sites as http://www.go2web20.net and http://www.classroom20.com) to see what Web 2.0 has to offer. Take your time. Treat it like a marathon, not a dash. Apply the Baby Steps method - one small step (or one application) at a time. But don't make the mistake thinking that blogs, wikis and podcasts are all there is to Web 2.0. Actually, they're pretty tame compared to what other Web 2.0 apps have to offer.

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Permalink Reply by Dena Coots on April 14, 2008 at 8:06am

I love the idea of "treat it like a marathon, not a dash." There are so many possibilities out there that it can be overwhelming.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Allen on April 14, 2008 at 8:11am

I definitely agree. The part that drives me nuts about my/our jobs is that it changes too quickly.

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Irish on April 13, 2008 at 9:22pm

I had to present recently so I created a really short podcast which I uploaded here called Reaching Digital natives. The theme--if we want to teach oiur students we have to reach them and understand the worlkd they are growing up in not the world we gre up in.

The first step for teachers is to explain tht using the on-line tools will make their jobs easier not harder. Start by showing web 2.0 tools that will save them time. Most teachers think along the lines of subject specific (reading Math Science) topics. So I would start something like this.

Yes there is all kinds of talk about what techology can do-but the reality is technology is just one more tool we can use and if it takes too much time to use the tool -we won't! So today I will be sharing with you some great tools that will make your job easier and capture the attention of this new digital generation.

Show Google earth- Google Earth is a free program. All you have to do is type in any place on the planet and you get to fly there. It can be used to teach map skills, geography, distance, landforms, infrastructure and so much more.

Celestia- For all of you who love Space-Celestia is also a free download that altlows students to see our solar system, consettations, and gives allows you to stop and go as you need too.

Journals- Creative writing can be done in a blog. The teachers submits the writing assignment and the students respond. The site blogmaster and google allow you to review material befor it is posted- Students love to see their work published, and setting up a blog site is really easy.

There are lots of productivity tools that will save you lots of time at the copy machine: Show Read,Write,and Think. This site has timeline makers, citation machine, poetry and lots more.

Try to show a few great browser based tools form each subject area and reinforce that they are free and easy to use.. Most teahers can't resist anything free:)

Good luck- I am betting they will love it and it will go well. Teachers reallydo want to reach their students-after we get them past the "I don't know computers thing" and they see it as a way to do things better and quicker-most are sold.

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Permalink Reply by ddeubel on April 14, 2008 at 12:50am

Kelley,

Thanks for that and you make the very essential point in this whole discussion. Teachers should use the tools the students are using in their daily lives -- not what we are used to.

I see so much of what is called Web 2.0 and what teachers develop for the classroom as being "classroom bound" and which doesn't and won't benefit our students after their school years nor motivate them much in the present here and now. I also see so many web 2.0 applications that are just online classrooms. Same walls, same power dynamics, same rules, regulations. Just the school transferred online and called -- web 2.0. Not the future, in my book or mind....

David
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

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Permalink Reply by Dena Coots on April 14, 2008 at 8:14am

I had actually seen your video as I researched this presenation. Nice work! Thanks for sharing the sites. I agree that it is important to "sell" the idea that these new tools can make the job easier, but at the same time engage the students and allow for collaboration. It is not easy for educators to make this shift in thinking. It takes a "leap of faith" to give up the prior methods.
it is going to be interesting to watch this phenomenon develop over the next few years and see it's impact on education in general.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on May 4, 2008 at 11:37am

First of all,Dena, I think it is brilliant to recognize that most educators are not Web2.0 junkies. As, well, "users" it is easy to make the assumption that all teachers make use of these "Education 2.0' tools. I am glad to see that there is an effort to educate those that are not aware of the potential impact on teaching and learning by adopting Web 2.0 tools.

Second, I think teachers need to use tools that assist in their own planning and lesson/curriculum development before adopting tools for classroom use. To that end, I would say, start with RSS feeds. So many educators have no clue that they can harvest rich information everyday with little effort using feeds. A corollary benefit, here, is that they can see the power of "instant web pages" such as Google Reader or Netvibes. To me, that's one of the most significant differences between 1.0 and 2.0: information and creation and 'publication' are nearly simultaneous processes (in 2.0). That, to real newbies, will be impressive and seem like magic.

Next a razzle dazzle presentation using Google Earth might work to really freak some out. "Oh my God, there's my house!!". "How did you do that!!" To which you can retort in any number of humorous (and devious) ways. All tongue in cheek, of course.

I'll stop there...because others have included the rest. Bottom line...teachers have to use the tools for themselves first. They have to come to rely on those RSS feeds that provide them with ideas and insight into how to teach in a 2.0 environment.

The rest is one Big Action Research Project.
Cheers! AG
http://educationalparadigms.com/

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Permalink Reply by Dena Coots on May 4, 2008 at 12:24pm

I love the idea of using Google Earth to add the dazzle. I received awesome feedback from the USDLA conferenece from this presentation and have started some good conversations with teachers from across the world as a result. I am going to have the opportunity to redo the presentation at Blackboard World in Las Vegas in July, so I may "borrow" your idea. Another one of things I love about Web 2.0.
As a side, I noticed your blog because of your picture. I was a pianist in my "former life" I was a former teacher and paid my way through college doing local gigs. Technology seems a natural outlet for musicians. :)

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Permalink Reply by Don Heberer Jr. on May 13, 2008 at 3:53pm

I would have to recommend to start small. First, I have all teachers to signup for a Google Apps Account. Under the Google Apps umbrella, you can then use it as a jumping point into Web 2.0 applications. I think the first web 2.0 tool would be either blogger or Google Docs. Many people are all ready familar with Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Showing them that they can edit/create and more importantly share their documents online with the world for free. It incorporates and effectively explians the mantra of Web 2.0.

After jumping from Google Documents then to blogger, I would recommend explaining RSS feeds and Podcasting. Its a logical progression from publishing information to distributing it. Explaining how the community is able to interact and consume the material that virtually anyone can publish.

Next, it's important to focus on Wikis and collaboration (this may be a good time to go back to Google Documents and focus on multiple editors) Showing the power of collaboration. Wikipedia is the most famous Wiki, but there are many more. Wikispaces.com

Lastly, I would probably show Voicethread or Gabcast for feedback on certain topics and allow criticism for peer review.

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Permalink Reply by Dena Coots on May 13, 2008 at 3:56pm

Don,

Thank you for sharing with with me. I will pass this along. I appreciate the logic behind your integration of various tools. It seems a natural way to progress from one tool to the other.
At the conference in St. Louis I shared what some pople at Claaroom 2.0 had offered as advice. this was a good way the atendees to see how Web 2.0 could be used to gather and share information as well as a first step.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara McKenzie on May 14, 2008 at 10:45am

I am also doing research on this topic, Dena. Good luck.

My advice would be as follows:

-Become familiarized with Web 2.0. You can buy books on the topic, learn from others who have experience with Web 2.0, go online and learn from the information that is available, play with the various applications yourself or go to traing sessions that are available,

-Start with the tool you find the most useful to yourself and your students. I teach a photography class so I started with Flickr. Many individuals start with blogging such as blogger.com or facebook.com

-Do not be afraid of this new technology but jump right in. You will find it to be a fun meeting new people and sharing a wealth of ideas. Actually I found this to be so exciting I spend countless hours online now learning and sharing information.

-Realize that Web 2.0 is a new technology application that is collaborative in nature and is here to stay. You as a teacher need to keep up with technology and model its use to students.

Hope this is helpful to you. Good luck on your research.

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Permalink Reply by Marielle Palombo on May 15, 2008 at 7:36am

I realize you have already presented, Dena, but I figure it's worth keeping the conversation going anyway (in quintessential Web 2.0 fashion). I think one of the unsung heroes of the Web 2.0 revolution is the threaded discussion. In terms of an initial step for teachers, there are relatively low barriers to entry. As for pedagogical advantages, threaded discussions facilitate true dialogue in ways that blogs and wikis often don't, especially when coupled with instruction and facilitation that capitalize on their affordances. For example, the nonlinear nature of threaded discussions allows participants to respond directly to a particular comment, regardless of the time it was made, which promotes a depth of discussion that has significant learning value. Unfortunately, many of the most recent tools have abandoned the threading feature, which I believe is a big loss. Ning is one that does a nice job with threaded discussions (note this discussion as an example). Tapped In is another. My other comments elaborate on why I think discussion forums offer a good opportunity for teachers to get their feet wet with Web 2.0. I think that if students and teachers had positive experiences with discussion forums optimally implemented, they would get more out of the blogging experience (and its potential to support interactivity) as well.