I think web 2.0 technologies have impacted education, but not to a very helpful extent. The only thing I have seen lately, on the news, is teachers on the secondary school level using text messages to get answers from their students. I have to say that is very clever, but not very productive. Not only that, you are more than likely making some students feel like crap because they do not have cell-phones. We should not take for granted that everyone has a laptop, cellphone, PC, internet at home. We can however give our students opportunities, if they would like, to take part in the cell-phone game. The teacher can hand out a paper that has sites like blogglines and blogger, delicious, ning, that way the student, on his own can go and check this stuff out. In a university level course, I am pretty certain that it is safe to assume that any student can have access to a computer. If not at home, then definitely at the university. However, getting into educational technology below the college level isn't easy. Unless the districts are willing to buy the student laptops for the school year, or pay for the students cell phones and text message bundles. It isn't fair to just plain ask the students to do these things, you may be bruising some hearts. In certain areas of the country, as is with every country, you can probably assume that students can have some of these luxuries. Maybe I am being a little to sensitive, but I guess I am remembering the time when we first moved here when I was 12. I wanted to have a computer, but we couldn't afford it. My first PC at the US was when I was 16 years old. Then I understood what all the fuss was about. Email's, bloggs, and all that stuff. How we can all keep in touch with anyone, anywhere in the world without a hitch. These 2.0 technologies are awesome, and for those that can have access to them, they are another way to make your life a little easier. Imagine never having to remember a site ever again. Just delicious it, and you are set for a bookmark all over the world. I told that to my mother and she was crazy happy. She bookmarks allot of things everyday, and she HAS to be at her home computer to access these bookmarks. Not any more, she imported, around 267 bookmarks to delicious and can use them anywhere. That is what these site can do for us if we embrace them. Let them help us, instead of thinking of them as a nuisance.
I will post about my wiki in a few hours :) :)
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William, I teach at a campus that could not expect the majority of students to have access to computers at home. I would hope that educators would be sensitive to that in assigning any outside work. Our school also lacks the funds, at this point, to furnish classrooms with an adequate number of computers. We do have computer labs...it's a slow go, though.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you in enjoying the Web 2.0 applications. It'll take time and effort, but I would like to see teachers try to use what they can.
William, I am glad you brought this topic to light. My district also has many students whose families have limited incomes, much less internet, or the luxuries related to it. I try to be sensitive to all my students by providing opportunities for those who do have access and avoiding insecurities for those who don't.
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