“I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.” ~Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann

Web 2.0 in Education

Web 2.0 technologies provide teachers with new ways to engage students in a meaningful way. Students are raised on new media technologies are less patient with filling out worksheets and listening to lectures because students already participate on a global level. The lack of participation in a traditional classroom stems more from the fact that students receive better feedback online. Traditional classrooms have students do assignments and when they are completed, they are just that, finished. However, Web 2.0 shows students that education is a constantly evolving entity. Whether it is participating in a class discussion, or participating in a forum discussion, the technologies available to students in a Web 2.0 classroom does increase the amount they participate.

The Web has the potential to radically change what we assume about teaching and learning, and it presents us with important questions to ponder: What needs to change about our curriculum when our students have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls? Web 2.0 tools are needed in the classroom to prepare both students and teachers for the shift in learning.

Features of social networking to promote the innovation of a true cashless society are provided below.

1.      Some may think that these technologies could hinder the personal interaction of students, however all of the research points to the contrary. Social networking sites have worried many educators (and parents) because they often bring with them outcomes that are not positive: narcissism, gossip, wasted time, 'friending', hurt feelings, ruined reputations, and sometimes unsavory, even dangerous activities, social networking sites promote conversations and interaction that is encouraged by educators." By allowing students to use the technology tools of Web 2.0, teachers are actually giving students the opportunity to learn for themselves and share that learning with their peers. While it is still important for them to monitor what students are discussing, the actual topics of learning are being guided by the students themselves.

2.      Web 2.0 calls for major shifts in the way education is provided for students. One of the biggest shifts is the fact that education must be not only socially but collaboratively constructed. This means that students, in a Web 2.0 classroom, are expected to collaborate with their peers. By making the shift to a Web 2.0 classroom, teachers are creating a more open atmosphere where students are expected to stay engaged and participate in the discussions and learning that is taking place around them. In fact, there are many ways for educators to use Web 2.0 technologies in their classrooms.