Thing # 5

Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators was written in 2007. In technological time that might have been a thousand years ago. Yes, a lot of the stuff that the author mentioned is still in use, and still going strong (blogging, podcasts, RSS) but there's so much more that has developed that could play a very important role in the day to day life of teachers and students. Ipads or other tablets, for example, are far more common today than they were in 2007. The applications for use in the classroom are immense.

The Horizons Report was also written a technological lifetime ago -- 2008. Web 2.0 is the Future of Education was also written in 2008. In fact the link that was listed on the APSU 23 Things Blog (Located here) is, I think, outdated. The link just goes to the Tech and Learning home page. I had to search to find the actual article. Teachers 2.0 is at least current. This is all a prime example of how, even though the use of the internet is an incredible thing and has been, and will continue, to change education, it is also very fluid. If a teacher is going to use the internet as a resource they can't just post something once and use it forever-- they need to routinely check their links to ensure they go to the correct article or or that the information they provide is actually valid, up-to-date information that will benefit the students.

School 2.0 means to me an advancement in education. It means that education can be interwoven between the actual physical classroom, the home, and anywhere that the child is. With free wi-fi spots all over the place, and  wireless cards for laptops or tablets as well as smart phones, if we can put information online the child, allowing that the child is provide a device that can access the internet, can always have education right there with them. There would be no more worry about notes left at school the night before a big test, no more information limited to just the information (perhaps bias) written in the student's school book. There is so much potential out there, so many resources that if we used properly and showed the student how to use would open up so many different portals of learning. That's what School 2.0 means to me.

I hope that schools of the future can take this technology and use it to benefit the students. I believe, firmly, that students should have a lot of hands on experience. I'm a Constructivist -- I believe children learn best from their experiences. I would never want the school experience to become just computer based, I think hands-on labs and field trips and art projects are vital. The school of the future needs to find a way to combine both Web 2.0 and real life, authentic experiences to help prepare the student for college or career.