Monday, October 15, 2012

Thing 5 - Percpectives on Web 2.0/School 2.0 and Future Education


For this blog I read  Web 2.0 Wikipedia and also Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators.  I tried to look at some of the other links posted under the directions for this topic, but found them to either have been removed or no longer linking to the topic.

 I have been using Web 2.0 for quite awhile, not realizing that it had a formal name.  It was very interesting to read how all the interactive platforms on the internet are covered with this simple term. Web 2.0 allows users to interact with each other through social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, videos, and photographs. I think it is amazing that people from all over the world can interact with each other so quickly and easily.

Web/School 2.0 is an amazing resource for education.  Students and teachers have a world of information at their finger tips.  They are able to correspond with one another where ever there is internet and a device to connect them to it.  Blogs, podcasts, and a variety of other platforms, can be utilized in an effort to teach and learn quickly, easily and efficiently.  “School 2.0” means to me the ability for both students and teachers to “go to class” with out having to actually enter a classroom.  It offers more freedom and flexibility to the education world.

 It is important to note, however, that it also opens up a great deal of information to other individuals.  Internet safety is a great concern, as it should be. Unfortunately, some individuals use the information presented on Web 2.0 to threaten, intimidate and even harm others.  There for, it is important for everyone using the platforms available on Web 2.0 or School 2.0 to be aware that others may be peeking in.

 Also, not everything presented on Web 2.0 is true.  It is important to check sources out before trusting them.  As noted by one of the articles, anyone can post anything.  I found it interesting that some individuals find the freedom that it offers to be too free.  They are concerned with the internet filling up with “junk”.  Sometimes, that junk does make it more difficult to find the information one is searching for, but overall I believe that the benefits of Web 2.0 far outweigh the drawbacks.     

 In the future, I think more and more schools will utilize the benefits of Web/School 2.0.  Students in some middle schools already have laptops that they can use in class for class work and projects.  I think that over time this will happen in elementary schools as well. Technology is such an important part of our every day lives and I believe it will continue to grow in importance.  The main concern is the ability to equip students and teachers with the technology so that they can use it.   

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