Technology is being used for different types of communication–for presentation, for class interaction, and for collaboration. No matter what type of communication is being used in the classroom, it is an important motivator for teachers and for students.
Presentation begins with a simple sharing of ideas or information with someone else. Interaction involves not only sharing ideas or information with someone else but also receiving feedback. Collaboration engages groups of people in not only sending and receiving feedback but also working together for creating, building, and editing. To accomplish these different types of communication, teachers and students today are seeking out simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use tools that accomplish specific communication tasks. Despite the buzz surrounding technology, there is not one technology that can do it all. Many teachers are finding it is best to mix and match. The freedom to mix and match technology is possible today because of two factors:
* Easy accessibility of computers and high-speed Internet
* A new breed of Web-based technologies often referred to as Web 2.0 (including blogs, wikis, learning communities, podcasts, audio and video conferencing, and online office applications).
Three Keys to Successfully Integrating Web 2.0 in the classroom:
Educators are both eager and nervous to use the rapidly emerging social networks and blogging tools to get closer to their students and colleagues, but first they need to develop an integration strategy.
– Define the educational goals your students can achieve by creating a community of technology gurus. One way to do so is to create a two-way dialogue between you and your students and parents, those who will be using the social networking tools to learn and engage.
– Make the interface user friendly. Doing so will encourage, rather than discourage usage and will even create a buzz that will support student/parent usage. After all, this is your goal.
– Go beyond starting a conversation with students, staff and parents. While getting people talking is a good start, you have to listen to people when they come to your blog. Because people tend to trust their own personal social networks more than any other, educators must demonstrate their social networking tools, particularly blogs, are worthy of trust by applying feedback to their dialogue.
Blogs or weblogs are being heralded as the next bulletin board. Teachers are finding that this easy to use Web tool is user friendly, helping usually quiet students to interact with the teacher and classroom and, in a sense, come alive!
Many teachers, myself included, are using blogs in place of much more time-consuming Web pages to organize, inform, direct, and extend classes. I find that my students like using them because it sort of extends deadlines and research indicates that student performance is heightened when they are given time to think.
The ease of use is the most attractive component for teachers. They can extend classroom lessons simply by posing questions to the classroom blog. This allows for student and parent feedback as well as collaboration between students, parent and teacher. Sure, the question(s) could be posed in a journal activity or classroom discussion, but I am finding that kids are taking more ownership of their blog replies and are, in fact, taking more pride in their work knowing that it is out there for peers, parents and teachers to see.
Another truly cool Web tool helping to shrink the globe in terms of academics, and in my opinion, the best help desk out there, is collaborative real-time editors. Real-time editing software such as ACE and YUGMA make it possible for multiple users to be the editor of the very same document in real time. And because this is all Web-based, it’s possible for the geographical location of users to be continents apart. Did I mention it’s free? Real-time, and even non-real-time editing makes collaborating on shared research and writing a snap. No more emailing, editing, and emailing again.
Educators are slowing warming up to the advantages of social networking technologies. As with any new tool or technology, variables that will depict its longevity are ease of use, cost, and of course its technological and educational benefits (what it was designed to do). One of the unique technology features that Elgg offers is the opportunity for schools to run and host their own social network on their servers locally. Supporting such a network would take significant expertise, not only with supporting the network, but also having complete control over the social networking platform.
Teachers (and not just IITV or computer teachers) are also finding ways to engage their students in real-time conversations with people or groups a world away. Audio and video conferencing capabilities are possible through sites like MSN and SKYPE. With a single laptop, Web cam, projector, and an Internet connection it is possible for me to broadcast my classroom with any other classroom with a similar set-up.
As new technologies continue to be introduced at steadfast rates, restricted, expensive, never before tried research, writing and educational components are being realized. These speedy changes can be overwhelming for educators, many of who are set in their ways, but for those willing to experience trial and error, the benefits can be cutting edge and can even give you a sense of accomplishment when all cylinders are firing. I’m excited to use what I have learned throughout this ICT For Educators course and for what the future holds for technology as a teaching tool.
