RSA #3: Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of
Possibilities
How Does Web 2.0
Shape Today’s Teachers and Learners?
The article from Educational Researcher “Web 2.0
and Classroom Research: What Path Should We Take Now?” begins by comparing definitions and examples Web 1.0 and Web
2.0. In the 1990’s, the use of the Internet increases and Web 1.0 was a simple
platform where information was obtained and communicated. Then, Web 2.0 emerges
as an interactive web experience that continues to encourage the posting,
uploading and sharing of content through wikis, blog, microblogs, video hosting
sites, podcasting, RRS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. Statistics are provided to demonstrate how
today’s teen students are utilizing Web 2.0 technologies and would rather use
them over traditional educational tools.
As the digital age continues to
shape lives, teachers must provide their students with technological competency
skills for the work force. The article discusses the learning ecology
perspective and gives the example of “what children learn outside of school can
shape what they learn in school as they seek out projects based on their
interests” (Christine, Robelia & Hughes, 2009, p. 248). With that
module in mind, educators can use Web 2.0 activities to guide that way of
learning.
The article continues with
sharing how Web 2.0 tools allow for students to be “producers of knowledge” (p.
249). Students do not have to be technology experts to complete its various activities.
It supports collaboration and permits sharing artifacts to the Internet world.
Learners can take resources from the World Wide Web and create their own
products.
The authors conclude that more
research needs to be completed that will concentrate on how students use Web
2.0 in and outside of the classroom and how it will reinforce teaching methods
and guidelines. They predict that
technologies such as cloud computing software and social operating systems will
make their way into educational research.
What can we do with
Web 2.0?
The article, “Web 2.0 in the
Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities”
(Kist, Doyle, Hayes, Horwitz & Kuzior, 2010)
examines how primary teachers facilitate online social networking sites to
increase their students’ reading and writing skills. First grade teacher Kelly
Doyle uses blogging to “share ideas, stories and feelings whenever they’d like”
(p. 63). One of her writing prompts for
the blog is for students to discuss the events of their weekends. She also has
students writing about books read, story responses and math word problems.
Second grade teacher Jeff Horwitz utilizes Twitter (www.twitter.com) to safely share
student products and activities with parents and the school community. J. T. Kuzior uses Thinkquest by Oracle
Education Foundation to have students post items and also converse with them,
much like Blackboard (www.blackboard.com).
The last teacher, Jody Hayes, is a fourth and fifth grade teacher who
advocates the use of digital tools for the “development of authentic
conversation skills” (p. 66). She achieves this goal through the use of digital
tools such as blogging, Skype (www.skype.com) and Youtube (www.youtube.com).
Every teacher comments that Web
2.0 tools increase student confidence as they collaborate and communicate with
others. They build literacy skills and encourage speaking with and writing to
authentic audience. They advocate for
current teachers to escape from their comfort zones of traditional teaching
practices and to promote using technology with their students and parents.
Both
Both articles examine the use
of Web 2.0 tools to benefit the learning experience of students. The first
article concentrates on more educational research and learning modules. It
tells educators why to use Web 2.0 in and out of the classroom. But, the second
article gives explicit literacy learning activities that use a variety of Web
2.0 programs. It makes reading and writing the focus of the lesson’s objectives
and the technology the vehicle second priority for student learning.
References
Christine
, G., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J. E. (2009). Web 2.0 and classroom research:
What path should we take now?. Educational Researcher, 38(4), 246-259. doi:
10.3102/00131189X09336671
Kist,
W., Doyle, K., Hayes , J., Horwitz, J., & Kuzior, J. T. (2010). Web 2.0 in
the elementary classroom: Portraits of possibilities. Language Arts, 88(1),
62-68. Retrieved from
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0881-sep2010/LA0881Profiles.pdf
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