Web+2.0

This is a response to the subject matter of utilizing web 2.0 tools in a classroom setting. I can clearly see the advantages of using thee tools in a classroom. These tools are mainstays in keeping a students attention, a pivotal role in a child's education.

The Internet has opened many doors for all to utilize. Uses vary from social networking to job-hunting to simply killing time while watching the latest and greatest in viral entertainment. In terms of education, the proverbial door has been opened and there is no looking back. There was a time when if someone needed information on a particular topic they would most often refer to a massive 26-volume collection of books called encyclopedias. They were often heavy, dusty and almost always missing the volume that you actually needed. Today educators have a virtual cornucopia of information readily available with just a few clicks of a mouse. As commonplace as Youtube has become over the past 5 years, there is no dismissal that this can’t be a viable tool in teaching. If one were to type in the keywords ‘how to’ in Youtubes word bank, every topic under the sun would appear in the match page. There has to be something out there a teacher can use for educational benefit- news specials, an editorial, interviews, footage of historic events all come to mind. As a History major I could use this as a primary tool for exposing my students to facts and biases conveyed by an array of scholarly sources. Collaboration is also easier than ever with the advent of web 2.0 tools. Googledocs is a tool I have used as a student and shall continue to use as a teacher. I am a firm believer that a school is only as good as its weakest instructor. Googledocs could allow an entire team of teachers work on projects together. This ensures an increased input capacity and virtually guarantee’s better lessons for students. Slide shows are gaining popularity amongst secondary teachers. Typically, when one thinks of the term slide show these days, immediately one tends to think of the program PowerPoint by Microsoft. I am going to try and veer from this mode of thought. In my opinion there is nothing more bland than a Microsoft slideshow. Presentations do not have to be in blue! There are plenty of other slide show programs out there that can exceed Microsoft’s meager standards. Keynote is an excellent slideshow tool I use regularly. And after researching web 2.0 tools, I have come to find that there are entire websites such as Prezi, Kizoa and Slide, which are completely dedicated to the art of the slideshow. There is also much to be said about music aides in teaching. This can get a little tricky for a social studies teacher, as modern recording techniques didn’t arise until a little over 100 years ago. There are sites that can help though. Moof is an excellent site for presenting music to the masses. If I were to do a lesson on the hardships of the Great Depression, I would definitely want examples of music from that time period. As a Social Studies teacher I am charged with many facets. One of which is introducing the concept of geography to my students. There are sites simply for this as well. GeoCommons and Mapspread would be ideal sites for making up specialty maps that could coincide with a lesson! When it all boils down to it, there is one aspect of my personal teaching philosophy that web 2.0 tools can really be an asset towards. As I think back to my times as a student and my time as a student teacher, there was one catchphrase that gives me chills with frustration. One thing I cannot adhere to is a topic that has the capacity for vibrancy but, because of the way it is presented, comes off uninteresting. I firmly believe that history is remarkably interesting. The last thing I ever want to hear is the utterance of history being boring. With web 2.0 tools as an aide in story telling, I can help make history come alive for my students.