This week, I read the article "Integrating Web 2.0 Across the Curriculum," and it was a very interesting read. Web 2.0 tools are something I'm very interested in, so to see this list of new tools I hadn't heard of and hear how they can be used across the curriculum was fascinating.
What I have found is that students are attracted to anything computer-based from the beginning. Even something simple or repetitive has new life for students when it is on the computer. It is my belief that this is because the students I am teaching now are a part of the Digital Natives population. Technology has been so integrated into their lives that they quite literally know no other way... except at school. This generation doesn't know of a time when a cell phone was a commodity or when not everyone had a computer in their home. And yet, for their entire schooling career, these students have been taught that school is not a place for this technology. Keep your cell phone at home and don't waste your time with a computer. So when students are given the opportunity to work with technology, they are immediately engaged.
I have a Web 2.0 tool that I would love to add to the list, and it covers many different content areas. The site is Epals (www.epals.com), and it is a site that encourages teachers from around the world to connect on various projects. Last year, my 4th grade students became pen pals with a 4th grade class in Connecticut, and I have never seen my students so excited about writing. The teacher and I collaborated on a project called "The Way We Are" (one of the featured projects on the site) that encouraged the students to discover ways that they were alike and different. Over 12 weeks of writings, my students found new "friends" and made some fun discoveries (my students just couldn't believe that some people have to go to school in June!). And, best of all, I saw their writing improve tremendously. My students with ADHD who couldn't focus on writing for the life of them in the classroom were writing 3-5 paragraphs to their pen pals! It was magnificent! And all with the help of a free Web 2.0 tool.
It is my belief that, if we want to truly educate our students in a way that will be beneficial to them as adults and in the workforce, we need to make use of these Web 2.0 tools and other technologies. Let's face it- there are new technological advances every day, and while we can't even dream of preparing our students for what will be out there when they join the work force, the least we can do is keep them up-to-date.
While this really has nothing to do with my project for the course, it has everything to do with my career aspirations and the reasons why I entered this program. I hope to someday soon be an LSTC (Local School Technology Coordinator) so I can encourage teachers to use tools like these in their classrooms. Teachers need to be introduced to these tools, taught how to use them, and create meaningful ways of incorporating them into their classrooms to keep their students engaged and also keep them informed of the ever-changing world of technology that surrounds them.
Oliver, K. (2010). Integrating Web 2.0 across the curriculum. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 54(2), 50-60.
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