WEB+2.0+PAPER

WEB 2.0 PAPER

=== The days of lecture hall are numbered. If teachers want to stay in tune with today’s students, they need to be able to grow and adapt. I believe that every class, beginning with first grade, needs to have a WEB 2.0 presence. Anything less would be a disservice to our students. As educators we need to be able to change the way we approach technology, and how students are learning. The concept of “WEB 2.0” is a perfect example of how teachers can exchange information with their students, integrate technology into their classrooms, and prepare students for a growing and changing world. === ===The most influential factor in how WEB 2.0 affects education, is the way teachers and students can now communicate. Google docs, Wikispaces, and other similar applications create network of communication opportunities. Students can submit assignments, ask questions, download documents, create calendars, and much more. These applications create a whole new world of organization that students were previously unable to attain. No longer do students need to have a multiple subject trapper keepers. (But where will they put all their stickers?) Environmentalists everywhere are jumping for joy, knowing that the days of handing in 10 page essays and killing hundreds of trees are close to being over. All a student has to do now is click and submit. Accountability rates become higher and teachers don’t have to hear “my dog ate my homework,” well maybe they might hear “my dog ate my zip drive.” Much like this class, I believe that every class should contain a personal profile and communicate via the web. This way discussions during class time can be more effective. The issue becomes that not every student has the same opportunities financially, and a high percentage of low-income students might not have access to this type of technology.=== ===Another way to communicate with students is via RSS feeds. These can go to a PC, laptop, and most importantly a phone. The cell phone has changed the face of communication in the world that we live in. No more evident than in today’s youth. Teachers have to access this tool as a way to communicate with their students, and create a better channel for learning. With an RSS feed, students can get updates on their assignments, what materials they need, resources to use, and other useful information. A teacher can create a website for each class and have RSS feeds sent to their students in one foul swoop.=== ===As a potential future teacher, podcasts scare me a little bit. This communication tool can make all teachers obsolete. But in reality this is a great tool to communicate with your students. The exchange of information in a classroom can at times vary, depending upon the focus level of the students. Podcasting gives teachers the opportunity to reach their students over and over again, no matter what time of day it is. By creating podcasts for their students teachers don’t have to worry if little Johnny was paying attention in class, because they posted their podcast of the lesson and is available for anyone to hear. Teachers can also post extra notes or thoughts they might have had on a subject, or directions to a project. In the time of budget cuts and lack of funding, resources like podcasting create awesome ways for teachers to maximize the time that they are getting paid for, and maybe even do the work that several teachers used to be able to do.===

===I really like the concept of Second Life. This interactive tool can really make learning fun. If a student is ambitious enough they have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Second Life gives them access to information from so many different areas, and with their avatar, they can explore the world in which they have entered.=== ===One of the headings to the instructions of this assignment read: “Isn’t it amazing that things have been made easy for everyone with all the Web 2.0 tools around us?” While I personally believe this statement is true, as a whole I believe it is a concept that has not yet caught on. When you understand how to use these tools, they can work miracles in education, but I have experienced old fashioned teachers who are fighting technology at every turn. They believe in the power of text and oration. I believe that the new influx of educators will be much more suited to integrate Web 2.0 tools into their classroom, but when will that be?=== ===What is going to happen to a student who cannot afford a computer. I have been blessed with enough money to pay for my college tuition, and own a laptop computer, but what about the students who don’t have access to these resources. While I believe it is extremely important to integrate technology into the classroom, we need to do a better job of funding schools that can’t afford these things. Funding for education is at an all time low, especially in Colorado. Communities need to advocate for these types of technologies to be in every classroom. It doesn’t matter if that classroom is in South Denver, or Boulder, this needs to happen. If students aren’t educated with the technology and resources that we have at our fingertips, they will be left behind, and that can’t happen.===