Thing #5: Web 2.0 vs. School 2.0

To me, School 2.0 is the need for education of various forms of technology that is currently available, such as social networks, blogs, and wikis. The web now provides an outlet to communicate with others in different ways, allowing expression of opinions and ideas and learning more about how others' feel. This education is on-going and ever-changing as technology is ever-changing. The purpose of this is to prepare people for the now and the future, which will incorporate this technology. That means schools will have to shift from the traditional methods of instruction and assessments to incorporate the different forms of technology. The students must be totally involved with the technology and how it is used in the world, not just briefly introduced.

I read Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators, and the writer said that education needs to step up and take control of this opportunity to provide students with what is needed for their future, which I totally agree. She also stated that these web tools are already 'second nature' to children. It is our goal as educators to prepare our students, by providing them with the resources and developing their skills through the use of technology. Why not incorporate what students already love to do, which is communicate with each other through technology tools?

I also looked at New Literacies: Enrichment or Essential?. The writer was posing the question to educators whether it is just enough to have students do research on the web and create a PowerPoint presentation, or can we (as educators) do more. He then discusses blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling. He says that these are web tools students are already engaged in personally that we can use effectively and meaningfully in the classroom to help our students grow through technology. Again, taking what the students know and do online and using it in a relevant manner in lessons, will definitely help students to be productive adults in the 21st century.