Web 2.0
Web 2.0, a term I previously had never heard of, is an extremely interesting and important concept when it comes to the digital age colliding with education. All of these social networking sites and ideas that make up what we define as “Web 2.0″ are all websites that many of our students will be using once we are teachers, as well as websites we may be a part of for personal OR professional reasons. The digital/technology world is quickly creeping up on the world in which we are used to, as well as what generations before us were used to. In other English Ed classes I have taken at KSU, my professors have posed the question, “When will technology overrule our literary lives to the point in which our students are not reading physical books, but reading classic texts off a computer? What relationship would that create between students and texts if and when technology overtakes publication?”
I believe it is extremely important to adhere to the changing times. Our future students will be reading about current events that affect our world through blogs, YouTube videos, and other forms of media that are present on the internet. As a teacher, I believe that it is important to understand that these are the types of places where students will be receiving the majority of their information. The internet is considered a necessity in most households, and is readily available outside the home as well. Wi-Fi is quickly becoming a “goody” that businesses offer, and there are even companies that, through a monthly subscription, allow you to receive internet on your laptop/cell phone/mp3 player anywhere!
I believe that using blogs, internet videos, and other forms of Web 2.0 that we unknowingly encounter every day will be one of the most effective ways to connect to our students. By using what tools they are most familiar with and most accustomed to using, I believe that educators will find their students to be more successful with their assignments.
As far as using Web 2.0 in the classroom, I believe it would be an extremely effective to use blogs as a way to communicate with students outside the classroom. The teacher could post notes and classwork assignments on the internet for students who were absent or who forgot their agendas. Also, teachers could post supplemental information that pertains to what is being taught in class.
For my video post, I chose this clip of a sleepwalking dog for sheer laughter. Enjoy!
