There has been a computer in every one of my classrooms since the 2nd grade. As a 23 year old graduate student, that means I have not been without technology in my learning space for 16 years. That number is not startling. My younger sister for example has never been in a classroom without a computer. Ever. Many other students feel the same way:
Now in the age where cell phones have more computing power than the computers that helped create them and laptops are being given by some universities to their admitted students, it is clear that technology now has an integral role in education. I will not attempt to claim that bringing technology to the classroom is the “future of education”; that claim, as we have seen, would be at least 16 years too late. However, now that the influx of technology has finished permeating classrooms around the nation and world, a new sub-set of technology is looming as a new frontier: Web 2.0 and the sea of applications and uses it carries with it.
This second wave has been coming for quite some time. The primary focus for the last decade has been equipping classrooms with all sorts of technological advances, starting with desktop computers, then advancing to laptops, projectors, smart boards, wireless answering systems, and more. Now that virtually every classroom has been supplied with one or more pieces of this valuable technology, the collective attention has shifted to finding ways to utilize this technology.
Not so coincidentally, this movement has arrived simultaneously with the explosion of “Web 2.0″, which is loosely defined as: “The second generation of the World Wide Web, especially the movement away from static webpages to dynamic and shareable content and social networking”. Essentially, Web 2.0 is not a change in the internet itself, but rather how the internet is used.
Teachers at the forefront of this movement have already started implementing its ideas. Here are just a few of the many great examples:
-A math teacher creates a blog that he updates daily with homework assignments and useful links. Students can leave comments and questions to seek additional help.
-A history teacher creates a free wiki-page as a review tool for her U.S. History class. Each student is assigned a different major concept to comprehensively research then summarize for the class. Other students can add additional information or modify incorrect statements, and the teacher can moderate to ensure accuracy.
-An art teacher uploads images of famous works of art to her Flickr account for her students to see and comment on. As the class progresses, she also displays photographs of student art so they can share their work with others.
-A music teacher creates his own YouTube videos and podcasts highlighting different musical themes and styles with direct links to places where students can see and hear more.
-A geography teacher utilizes Skype to connect her students with her acquaintances from all around the world by video-conferencing with them during her class periods.
-A creative writing teacher creates a Google document and invites all of his students to collaborate, asking each of them to contribute one sentence at a time to a larger story, and following wherever her students lead her.
-A debate teacher creates a discussion board application so that her students can both pose and answer questions while having the time to collect their thoughts and reason their arguments.
There is only one drawback to this incredible opportunity. Teachers must remember to utilize these incredible tools to advance critical thinking among their students, and NOT just to use technology for the sake of using it. If utilized correctly, Web 2.0 can open doors to the future and open young minds to the possibilities it holds.
How interesting a post. I have used all the technologies you mention EXCEPT flickr. Your vision of the future of education is crossing interesting ground – what do schools look like – public, school choice – what do teacher/student interactions look like – in class or via technology. Interesting to think about what the boundaries look like – how much time can you / should you devote to technology, when does it help your teaching? You get into that at the end. Nice compilation of technology to think about for the classroom. What is the far out extension – a Hal like computer w/ a voice or hologram to provide individual lessons – is that desirable?
Comment by Lunsford — July 14, 2009 @ 5:33 pm |
Your comment about a hologram brought back two memories of my interaction with holograms that show the possibility of their use in education isn’t far fetched.
The first memory is from a technology conference that I attended I think in either 2006 or 2007. It was a typical largish conference in many ways — held at a hotel, lots of break out session, key note speakers in the big ballroom.
One big difference is that one of the keynote speakers appeared via hologram. I don’t mean some sort of recorded presentation, but a live presentation, but the speaker wasn’t present in the room (or even in the same state) but appeared via hologram. I was sitting in the back of a large ball room. I knew the conference organizers so I knew that the speaker was going to appear in this manner. However, if I didn’t know that was the case, from where I was sitting I wouldn’t have been able to tell this wasn’t a real person. It definitely had Star Trek type feel.
The second memory is my visit to the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, IL in 2008. I think the museum was one to two years old. There were numerous presentations in which holograms were used. In this case, this was a pre-recorded use, but the realism that made me feel like I was watching the events of history were really quite amazing.
Right now the expense is such that the use of holograms can only be used in special situations. But with all forms of technology, the price will decrease and the quality will go up. I wonder how such technologies will change online learning.
Comment by Matt Wicks — July 28, 2009 @ 12:42 am |
Did you see that company in England who has offered to track students ALL THE TIME?
Apparently they have the same troubles over there with standardized tests that we do – too many, ineffective – so now a company has offered to track students all the time – every time they log onto a computer and type anything, every time they turn something in – and will offer a running evaluation.
Personally, this seems insane. That totally eliminates any effort we can make to help kids feel free to fail in class (during creation of work).
But then again, the NAACP just announced a site where people can upload phone video of police brutality. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. But it’s like the total reversal of 1984. Twenty five years later and “Big Brother” is no longer the state – he’s all of us.
At least parents will be able to watch us teach their kids soon via webcams and will be able to register complaints about our performance to the administrators instantly. What do you think the over/under is on that? Ten years? Five?
Thankfully, most parents will be on facebook instead.
Comment by dukemat10 — July 14, 2009 @ 11:04 pm |
oh, two more things:
i didn’t have email until after i was out of grad school the first time.
and hobnox is in charge. go there.
Comment by dukemat10 — July 14, 2009 @ 11:08 pm |
Hi Alec,
I’m exploring the possibility of using Second Life to transport students into an “simulated” lab experience or an experience as a professional in science (genetic counselor, field biologist, etc…) to simulate authentic experiences in science. The obstacle is time (building the module) and practicality (access to computers for students, etc..)
Suz
Comment by ssikes — July 17, 2009 @ 1:57 pm |