Web 2.0 in Education

Recently I started following Encyclopedia Britannica's Blog. I didn't realize that this encyclopedia founding father had gotten on board with this web 2.0 tool. I enjoyed reading a variety of archived blog posts, but stumbled across this one regarding the Web 2.0 movement in education. Steve Hargadon wrote this interesting article that put a spin on Web 2.0 as being a big "part" of the future of education instead of Web 2.0 definitively being the "future" in itself.

He provides his own simplified definition of Web 2.0 specific to education as the use of the Internet as a two way medium where content is not only consumed but created. Hargadon goes on to list and explain important educational benefits of Web 2.0. He cited: engagement, authenticity, participation, openness and access to information, collaboration, creativity, passionate interest and personal expression, discussion, Asynchronous contributions, proactivity, and critical thinking. These benefits are specifically related to those standards that are expected of 21st century learners.

A specific quote that I particularly appreciate is in reference to fears of teachers and the fact that just because these tools are available doesn't mean that students will acquire all of the positive skills that are waiting within.

"... it helps to remember that most of the character traits of Web 2.0 mentioned above are significantly enhanced, if not dependent on, devoted adults helping to mentor and guide students. Having ready access to information does not make one a scholar, but it is scholars that we must help to create."

Wisconsin Fast Plant Model Video Podcast

This is a sample video podcast that my students created in science class to demonstrate their understanding of the Wisconsin Fast Plant's parts.

This video is also posted to Teachertube.

Rip-Mix

I began reading Wil Richardson's Blog entry called "Reading to Find: Rip-Mix Classrooms" and found myself following a path similar to what Richardson was describing.  Initially I thought Richardson's focus was on a tendency that a lot of us might be guilty of; reading on the web and getting carried away by a link flow and stumbling onto something that really interests us.   Specifically, reading on the web and becoming interested in a link and following it away from the original article before finishing reading it in it's entirety. Instead his intent was to show evidence that this method of web reading can be a good thing.  What followed was Richardson's account of his trail to finding the Rip-Mix Classrooms group and a few quick comments regarding their goal.  As I read Richardson's blog I was tempted to following many of the hyperlinks that he inserted throughout the article.  I held off these urges in direct contrast to the reading method he was promoting and finished reading the entire article.  After reading I followed the link to learn more about the Rip-Mix classrooms.  The people in this group collaborate and share recordings and notes on lectures for various courses with peers.  There is an obvious benefit for the majority and overall education of those involved.  However,  the major concern I can see professors would have with this practice is the sharing of exams, tests, and quizzes.  The group members encourage participants to contribute past assessments.  I am sure many professors recycle these and would not be thrilled with this idea.

Audio Podcast

I created this podcast using Garageband. I uploaded it to the hosting service called Gcast.


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I am curious to see if/how this works out.

My intention was to create a weekly update podcast that communicates important information regarding classroom activities to parents and students. I also submitted my podcast to iTunes.

"My Pyramid" Audio and Video Podcasts

As part of our 3rd grade Health Curriculum we utilize the MyPyramid.gov website and resources. I began subscribing to the video podcasts offered by the site. Initially I thought the podcasts might be beneficial for my students, but after viewing a few episodes I realized that they were designed for adult/teacher audiences. One episode in particular that I enjoyed was related to easy ways to get more active. The host interviewed a variety of people and one tip in particular that I liked was to park farther away from the entrance to stores. This simple step helps burn more calories and can add in a few extra minutes of exercise. I will continue to subscribe to these podcast episodes. I am considering the having my students create video podcasts to jigsaw teach the content from one of our health units.

Have a Minute?

This week I started subscribing to a podcast through iTunes called "The Princeton Review Vocabulary Minute". This podcast broadcasts a new episode every day. The podcast itself lasts only one minute and teaches four vocabulary words through easy going and sometimes silly lyrics. Each episode is rated for the appropriate grade level, but I believe each song can be appreciated by most grades above 3rd or 4th. Many students claim that music is their life and can cite lyric upon lyric from their favorite artist, but have trouble remembering vocabulary and word meanings given by their teacher. Although these songs are definitely not performed by popular artists they still have the ability to get stuck in your head. I recommend that you check these out for yourself, even if they are not appropriate for your students.

Editing a Wikipedia Article

I decided to check out the information on Wikipedia regarding my hometown of Bellevue, PA. After browsing the information listed there I realized that one section was lacking. There is a section dedicated to Notable Residents of Bellevue. Now I know that Bellevue is not exactly celebrity city but because I've lived in this borough my entire life I knew that there had been more Notable Residents than four. I actually believe that I could add a lot to the list, but chose to add one individual who is a positive force in the communities. This man visits many schools in the Pittsburgh area and lends his meteorologist expertise and great personality to making learning about weather fun! I am referring to none other than KDKA's Weather Man, Dennis Bowman. Check out Bellevue's Page on Wikipedia and pay special attention to the last entry under Notable Residents.

Special Thanks to Laura Ann for finding the great Wikipedia Editing How-To!