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?
What advice would you give to teachers who want to incorporate these technologies for the first time? Which tool would start with?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Hargadon on
-
Oh, the perennial question!
The first answer really was the genesis for Classroom 2.0: encourage them to start using the tools themselves, to experience the changes in their own learning that take place, and then to pick one that really resonates with them to introduce into their class. CR 2.0 was intended to provide an easy way for educators to experience Web 2.0 dialog quickly and get a taste of why it's so amazing.
The second answer I always give is blogging. Wikis are a little hard to learn and aren't great for discussions. But blogs are easy to learn, and can be used with both students and parents quickly.
Good luck!
-
Permalink Reply by Marielle Palombo on
-
I agree, Steve, that teachers should experience using Web 2.0 tools to support their own learning before using them with students. There is no way to fully understand the nature of the Web 2.0 experience, its opportunities, and its challenges without authentic engagement. By authentic, I mean that we have to use the tools for the purposes of meaningful communication and learning, as all of us are doing here. To that end, I think that inviting teachers to participate in a substantive online discussion or comment on a blog post that speaks to them is a good first step for teachers interested in exploring Web 2.0 because it offers a genuine experience without requiring too much investment in learning new tools. Once people experience the power of online communication and authorship personally, they are more likely to invest the time it takes to thoughtfully implement these tools in the classroom.
-
Permalink Reply by Josh Allen on
-
I will "third" the use of blogs, but I also think it depends on where you are starting. For example, if you are focusing on data collection, maybe a wiki is the place to start? If you are focusing on book groups, blogging or discussion boards are the place to start. I don't think that you can say, in all cases, start with blogging, but if you are a new teacher who can start in any curriculum area, I would start with blogging. It may also depend on which curriculum area they are most comfortable with.
-
Permalink Reply by Dena Coots on
-
I agree. I think I began using these types of tools as a "lurker." I really grew fond of RSS feeds for information. As my comfort level grew, I was then able to begin interacting with others through blogs and wikis, and then I felt comfortable to start my own.
-
Permalink Reply by Deborah Morris on
-
What is the best book to purchase or blog to read to get up to speed?
Deb
-
-
I think Will Richardson's book is a good one. You can find information about it on his blog...
http://weblogg-ed.com/
-
Permalink Reply by Sylvia Martinez on
-
This is a pretty broad question! I'd try to narrow it down and offer some ideas that address different grades and subjects. It also depends how much time they are willing to devote to a single project. Are you really talking about communicating or incorporating into lessons?
If you are just talking about communicating with them, I think the best idea is to answer your email. Second would be to set up an IM or Skype account and turn it on after school when you have the time. Turn it off when you don't.
As far as incorporating them into the classroom,I think the power is as an expressive medium, not as a communication channel.
I'm not sure I agree about blogs as a "first time" outing in the classroom. It takes a long time to develop the process and get students on board with it. I think you have to commit to at least a term and make it something that is incorporated into everyday activities. I think it sounds overwhelming to many people.
Something more self-contained would be a good suggestion for a newbie. Students creating podcasts comes to my mind first - movie making does too, but podcasting needs much less powerful equipment. The reason is that podcasting can be applied to any subject area or grade level. I know people are very excited about VoiceThread, and sure, it's good for instant stuff, but I think that the entire process with podcasting is very educational.
The planning, scripting, recording, editing, post-production closely mirrors the writing process, and offers great chances for reflection, peer editing, and learning. Audio can be a very expressive medium, and students could create many different kinds of things - informational, creative, reports, etc.
It also doesn't rely completely on perfect connectivity, which is a real issue in many, many schools.
-
-
I guess I would partially disagree that blogs take a long time to develop. It's journaling, an activity that is done quite often in schools. I would think that posting and commenting to a blog would be a lot easier to explain and perform than creating podcasts.
-
-
Hi Josh,
Perhaps the word I used about blogs, "develop" isn't quite capturing the fact that a teacher has to really commit to blogging for a long time to see the fruits. Just like journaling, it is something you have to stop and regularly put classroom time aside to do, take time to manage it, and then watch as students grow over time.
I think smithtk summed up some of the things that take time pretty well below.
And certainly podcasting isn't the only thing to do, but it's a fairly easy (really!) semi self-contained thing to do that can be done for a couple of weeks and directly tied to a unit or something.
Dena asked about what to present at a conference, and that's different than what you could do as a tech coordinator who is going to be around to hand-hold new teachers for the long-run. In a presentation, I think you have to quickly make connections to what the teacher currently does - and also wow them with what could be done.
-
-
I agree with Sylvia that implementing student blogging in the classroom thoughtfully requires time and commitment. Josh is right that blogs are a good fit because many teachers already ask students to journal regularly on paper. However, if you really want to tap into the affordances of a new medium like blogs and ensure that their use effectively promotes learning, you need to understand more than how to use them technically; you also need to understand what they are good for (and what they cannot do), how they work, how to make the most of them, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to design activities that fully exploit their power while also supporting the curriculum. Blogging by itself does not necessarily enhance learning, but in the context of effective instruction, it can offer exciting opportunities for students to improve their writing and deepen their understanding.
I share Sylvia's caution about over-promising the ease of teaching with new media. I think we potentially do a disservice to the cause of promoting Web 2.0 tools to teachers if we are not honest about what is involved in using them well in the classroom.
-
Permalink Reply by Terry Smith on
-
Hi Dena - my thoughts. There are tools galore, many choices, simple, complex. I think a teacher has to decide what kind of classroom he/she wants to have. Even if a teacher chooses blogging to start with, there must be the understanding of what this will entail. When your students are blogging, you suddenly become something of a network administrator. Logins, passwords, entry approval, online assignments, instructions, cautions. Beyond any content you have prepared, beyond any state standards, you now will be teaching and managing how your students interact in a very wide open space connected to your school, under the scrutiny of your administrator, under the scrutiny of your students' parents. And you will likely find that you have taken on something which requires more than you currently know - thus, the learning begins for you, lots of it, very quickly. It is all exhilarating and rewarding and opens new doors for you and your kids. But there is a price and that is changing how you do things, minimizing part of your approach to make way for the new energies/ideas that will begin filling your teaching and learning space, using lots of your time. I like Nitkin's advice to begin with exposure to tools, think about it, lurk around a few sites, ask lots of questions. When I do short intro sessions on blogging for newbies, I go very slowly, very carefully basically only doing a non-detailed overview showing the kids' excitement and the world connection possibilities, not all the widgets, embedded media, and customization possibilities. I've found that if there is interest, then after a week or two or longer, a teacher who wants more detail and wants to try his/her own blogging space, will request more. Then I rub my hands together and say, "Great! Step into the laboratory and we shall begin."
Report
Win at School
Commercial Policy
If you are representing a commercial entity, please see the specific guidelines on your participation.
Badge
Follow
Awards:
© 2024 Created by Steve Hargadon.
Powered by
