Teaching 2.0

A little more than 5 years ago, Web 2.0 was the new buzzword. Time Magazine named "you" the person of the year thanks to the prominence of Web 2.0. At first I found it intriguing and odd how a growing fad could mean so much in the years that came. People sharing their stories, insights and opinions. They are not just a small minority of journalist or specialist, but regular people who have access to the internet. A growing number of sites are user generated. And then something interesting happened, the internet bloomed to a new level where educator should consider of bringing the model into the classroom.

There is an unsettling issue in several courses, in particular those which requires critical thinking to solve problems such as math. The linearity of teaching creates a negative impact against students' learning. Several educators discuss or write about this issue. Students must recognize that there are more than one way solve a problem and shouldn't be restricted by a linear solution. With the internet allowing students to post and explain how to solve problems or a complicated topic. The additional layer of information can make a difference for students who are struggling.

Furthermore, educators can be part of the Web 2.0. They can share their lesson plans, pedagogy and slides. There are several sites that allow teachers to share it. Some of them can cater a very specific audience who would want a particular file and not just a power point slide (like a slide for smart boards). These sites become a valuable resource for new teachers and can assist them.

Finally, the new web enables the classroom to become a conversation between the teachers and the students. As one blogger points out, this truly opens the floodgate. Students can ask questions and discuss about some matter outside of the classroom without stalling it. And teachers can have a better glimpse on how well they are learning and understanding the knowledge. This very informal way of assessing the students can be a very strong tool for educators. They can adjust lesson plans accordingly to make sure that the students are not confused even further.

Web 2.0 isn't just a buzzword or a trend; it has grown into a norm for the internet. And it is something that most new educators should embrace.

Technology changed how we learn in classrooms

When I was in high school, technology was going through an awkward transition. It was becoming mainstream but not quite there yet. Most urban household would have the internet and a personal computer. But even at that, we didn't make a deep connection between the technology with schools. It was mostly a superficial use of it. We would surf the internet for a research assignment and use the word processor for the write up. The content on the internet at the time was very limited, especially for high school students. Back then, the web was usually filled with fan sites and startup companies trying to early adapt to the novel technology so there wasn't a lot of useful information. The potential was always there but it lacked a developed content. At the time, modern technology was as limited as the information that the internet offers. And it allowed students to type assignments. A decade later, technology has bloomed and offers so much more. The content on the internet is huge and the medium to exchange ideas has expanded beyond the word processors. This can easily lead to a progressive revolution in education due to the empowerment of student with modern technology.

In the past, teachers would tell a student how to solve a problem through a singular solution or give them information that they are comfortable with. But thanks to the expansion of knowledge on the internet, more information and solutions are available to students. Traditionally, teachers would explain and show how to answer questions in a linear fashion. Usually, there would be only one solution to answer them. However, there are some occasions when students won't understand it and struggle. It would be difficult for them to progress if they are learning the only solution demonstrated in class. Thanks to the internet, students can explore different solutions and teachers can adapt new teaching strategies learned from it.

Even the medium has evolved. Textbooks, handouts and worksheets were the only means for students to gather information and to expand their knowledge. Nowadays, teachers can use technology to pass on knowledge. A very popular method is recording a class lecture. Most university professors record (visually or audibly) their lectures and upload it on the internet. This simple idea revolutionized studying. Students can now take notes at their pacing and have control of the lecture. They can rewind to go over concepts they didn't understand the first time and they would always have a strong reference on what to expect in a course. A popular site where students would go to for a quick review is Khan Academy. It takes the idea and brings it a more mainstream setting, and expanding the audience beyond the universities students. These videos are aimed for students with any level in mathematics and senior students in high school.

These are just the tip of the iceberg of a large change in education. So much has evolved over the past decade and there is much more that will be coming in the next coming years for education. Collaboration has been a strong trend within the technology communities, like the colossal site, wikipedia. It's only a matter of time when the education system will shift from a individualistic perspective to a collective one. And this will be the biggest revolution for anyone who will learn through modern technology and modern tools.

How could you use blogging classroom instruction?

The internet has become an interesting place for education. It positioned itself in an awkward place. On one side of the argument, the internet is a great source of knowledge, but a counter argument is that it became a haven for plagiarism.

But I realize that it has so much more the offer than a pool of knowledge. It allows users to connect with others in a very viable way. I can email to my students and their parents to keep them up to date. Blogging offers an interesting way to teach class. A lot like podcasting or posting a recording of the teacher's lecture, teachers can post classnotes or even the lesson itself and allow the students to follow on what's going on. This doesn't replace the classroom itself but it allows it to be a supplement for the students.

Furthermore, using the educational blogs as a personal blog can be beneficial for the students. Students would relate to the teascher more readily. However, this can be a problem if students become too close to the teacher. Some people can view this as inappropriate or some teachers can view this as an invasion of privacy. So making it personal can create some issues.

I do believe that this is probably a slow transition from the old schooling to a newer way, reaching students beyond the classrooms.

And now the obligatory adding image part of the exercise:

And now the two site which I spend waaaaay too much time (time sinks basically)

-Reddit

-Youtube

Google map part c.

AND NOW YOU KNOW WHERE I LIVE!!!

... Approximately...


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Google map part b.

And now for the second part of the exercise!


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Google map part a.

This is for the first part of the exercise of the google map and blog work.


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*tap tap tap* Is this still on?

This is the first post in a looooong time.

Why do you ask I revive the dead? One of the classes I enrolled in is Integrated Technology in Classroom, and it requires me to have an active blog site. So I decided to revisit this old relic and try to be more active.

So for now this is it. Maybe in a near future I will add more.

So until next time!