Web2.0 Practices in the Act of Teaching

Since I joined Classroom 2.0, people have been great to share, so I read and reply within the different forums that interest me. Today, I took a look at the Professional Development Forum, particularly a How To discussion started by Jason Hando.

Like Jason, I am planning a web2.0 professional development session, so I went to this forum first to gather their prior knowledge. My main goal was to find out what others have already done in the area of Professional Development in Classroom 2.0.

So, I was reading all the comments, and there seemed to be a common thread, to find out what people already know and their expectations. Determining prior knowledge is one of my main pillars of professional development training philosophy.

As I focused on my colleagues comments in this discussion, I was thinking, "How could you find out what the teacher/participants know?", and keep them interested, moving and discussing with their peers. This is when my mind fell into brainstorm freefall. Here are the ways, at that moment, I was thinking to get at, to evaluate, prior knowledge.

First, I thought you could have posters (maybe T charts) on the walls with the basic questions, let's say:

• I bookmark online.
• I use _______ to bookmark online.
• I list bookmarks with no explanations.
• I make a comment on my bookmarks.
• I want to know who else bookmarked the sites I chose.

Next, deciding that posters didn't seem to get at the heart of the web2.0, I thought I could make an online survey. Then I realized that there would be little social interaction with an individual survey.

Then the main idea that I had been searching for popped up.

• Photo-Graphs could be taken for each question and possible answer. Bluetooth or other way transfer the data to some place online or even to local drives.
• People, looking at the Photo-Graphs, could see at a glance who used technology in the way that they do, or the converse, who can they learn from because they use something else......
• As the facilitator, I could see who is where, tech_integration, they are also. I could see their faces.
• There would be interactions, because participants would have to discuss and share to figure their Photo-Graph distribution areas.
• There should probably be a backup plan to have more than one person taking pictures, and using cell phones may be the fastest and most efficient way to work with the Photo-Graphs.
• Later, I started thinking that some some music, appropriate to the task, would be great. Then the song, Stand in the Place, came to mind.... That broke my revery ;D

Wow, I decided that I better write this down, so I will remember it later.

I have lots of ideas,but most are like electricity...they dissipate without a conductor. LOL!