Past
two weeks reviewed major trends and issues, such as learning 2.0,
trends in education and society, and online rights and safety. Establishing a good reason for why one should incorporate Web/social media to teaching or learning is a must.
The following question doesn’t have correct or wrong answers, but naïve or over simplified arguments must be avoided:
The following question doesn’t have correct or wrong answers, but naïve or over simplified arguments must be avoided:
- (1) What is your perception/knowledge of the Web as teaching (or learning) tools now and why? (2) Assume that you are recognized for your knowledge in web/social media at school (or work), and have been charged by your boss to improve digital literacy and web/social media use. Many employees have concerns about privacy, internet rights, and copyright infringement.
- Clear and concise capturing of major benefits/strengths of the Web for teaching/learning (30%)
- Use of relevant materials (minimum 2) to support views (30%)
- Flow and cohesion (20%)
- No naïve or over/rosy-generalizations (10%)
- Accuracy of grammar and spelling (10%)
Example:
My
understanding of the web as teaching tools is that tools, such as xxx
are readily available for teachers to use in the classroom as well as
outside the classroom. They can motivate students more with resources
that show the application of contents, and engage students into active
and reflective learning. For instance, Brown and Adler in their article,
entitled Minds on Fire,
show many web projects where teachers make the best use of
resource-based, inquiry oriented, and cooperative learning environments.
Unlike past teaching that heavily relies on textbook and knowledge
transmission (as seen in Wesch’s video, Machine is Us/ing Us and Information R/evolution),
web tools provide greater opportunities for students to search, share,
and discuss related materials easily and publish work in view of
audience outside the classroom.
Richardson
(2009) also points out, work remains after the course and these
artifacts can work as resources for future students as well as their
portfolio that can grow over time… However, care must be taken for
online safety (or identifies) because xxx indicates that students are
using popular social networking tools with little parent or teacher
guidance… Unless teachers pay attention to the issue of fair use and the existence of sources (can add related sources, such as Creative Commons) to support your view or as a resource), students may impinge on copyright without knowing or reinvent the same work ....
34 comments:
Upon entering this class I did not know exactly what web 2.0 was. I have a better grasp on it now, for it is interactive web and is all over. I really did not think too much on the idea of using web tools for teaching a class but upon further thought the idea of using blogs, storage, content management, office suites and office tools are all useful in the school setting. I have looked up things on the Internet to further my own knowledge on a subject which is a great thing to do if you are curious about something. Even better if your teacher provides you with legitimate places to learn more. I have an online class and can see how that is useful. All of the classes I am currently taking are on blackboard which allows teachers to post notes, grades, assignments and links which is very nice. My true online class approaches things differently by having discussions that cause everyone gets involved. We have had some very heated discussions and because of this we can see different sides of problems and have a better understanding of the subjects. As I learned in other IDT classes different people learn things different ways, with the addition of web tools I feel that teachers can reach a broader audience and help students to actually learn. Memorizing facts for a short amount of time is good for taking tests but to retain information on something is true learning. The world is changing fast and technology is changing with it. Digital is taking over and according to learning to change-changing to learn students learn more in the community then in classes. In order to change this it seems that webtools would be a great addition to curriculum. There is a learning breakdown pyramid out there that shows what percent of what we learn. Reading, listening, doing, writing about, explaining to others, we only remember so much. Combine them and we remember things which is what learning is. With web tools one can subscribe to an area of study and get the most up-to-date articles on what is going on in that particular branch. Knowledge can be shared through online things such as NoteMesh where lecture notes can be contributed in a wiki style. Or use of skype or a variety of other tools. Overall web tools should be added to help students to learn.
The web has come a long way in terms of the way we learn or use it to teach. some people don't see the real true use of the web as a teaching and learning tool. When one talks about the web, some people believe that it is all about using facebook, or just browsing throughout the web entirely. The example that was given in class was a survey taken about how people use the web and what they use it for, according to the research teaching and learning ranked among the lowest usage. This notion and idea bring me to my point and stand in explaining what exactly we can use the web for. Not just for learning or teaching, we can use the web for so many things. Take for example western online, so many students make use of this web tool everyday in numerous schools. Take into account the number of courses that utilize this web tool. Over the years numerous arguments have been brought up the real effect of tools that utilize the web for learning, some argue that web tools will fade away or they will pass. I personally disagree with this argument because I myself have had numerous experiences using the web for learning. Even when i was still in community college and high school, and back in pre school numerous web tools were used to teach us as well as used to make us learn. In one of the movies we watch in class "Machine is Us/ing us, we saw that we are not the only people that learn from web tools such as google etc. We found out that as we learn from them, they also learn from us in return. In another movie we watched in class; "Information Revolution" This movie showed us how information passes from one site to another and how the web collects all our information and stores it so we can later look at it or edit or add more information etc. all in all web tools is very necessary in helping us everyday where its in teaching or learning.
Within a matter of twenty years, the world wide web developed into a key proponent of modern society. Unfortunately, the educational system appears to resist the possible benefits of the information age. The educational system must adapt to the information age to promote innovation and globalization, two important factors in today’s world. According to an article published by The New York Times, technology appears to have initiated a fundamental change in brain function. Technologically proficient individuals can now handle multiple information streams, but those who are not “[can] barely process two streams, and [can] not simultaneously make decisions about them” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&adxnnlx=1295539297-WrtFxrLZm/wTZGJhfHbrIw). Because the younger generations essentially grow up using computers, their brains need constant interactivity, something the web can promote. Additionally, the web contains a multitude of easily accessible information, and should integrate easily into the educational system.
Recently, I began aggressively tackling the social media scene, actively participating on facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. These web tools allow the user not only to connect to individuals familiar to them, but to connect to those around the world. The web can be used to effectively teach multiculturalism and globalism to classrooms over the globe, by interacting with individuals from countries other than their own. YouTube particularly interests me. There is a community of individuals who call themselves “nerdfighters;” a group which developed around the vlogbrothers YouTube channel. Since 2007, the vlogbrothers have sought to provide intellectual and entertaining videos to captivate their audience. Any topic from literature to science is discussed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfrdyZGFigs). YouTube provides the face-to-face experience tools such as facebook and Twitter cannot provide. Regardless, facebook and Twitter can still promote an educational atmosphere by encouraging collaboration between students and facilitating the communication of thoughts and ideas. Additionally, a new social medium called Ning can allow teachers to create their own networks to provide their students (if facebook is too distracting).
The main problem preventing the adoption of web tools in the educational system comes from the generational gap between student and teacher. Today, the average teacher grew up before the advent of the information age, automatically giving them a knowledge deficiency. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average teacher is about forty-three years old (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass_2004_19.asp). In order to close this generational gap, teachers themselves need to receive significant technological education to keep up with their students.
The web has without a doubt morphed the way that we do our everyday tasks. Every year new learning tools are being developed to aid in the learning of a specific topic. If all of these online web options have so much potential to help, but schools for some reason just do not feel the need to incorporate it into their curriculum. The fact of the matter is that the teachers are doing a disservice to their students by eliminating this idea of web based learning. Students are currently well equipped with the necessary skills to learn by any means, in my opinion. I feel that since the technology is always advancing that the students need to be up on their technology. “Flat Top,” the video that we viewed in one of our previous classes shows how teaching can ultimately be altered. If we have the capability to achieve such great things, why wouldn’t we take advantage of these options? It is vital to the students’ progress and educational process to take full advantage of these web tools. There is no denying that web tools are the way of the future and the way that student’s years from now will be learning, why not take initiative and start using the tools effectively? I believe that it is very important to keep in mind that the way we learn today can be different tomorrow and that if we have the advances to take a step forward; we should not hesitate. Web based teaching and learning is the way of the future and schools need to begin to grasp this idea to better the students and faculty alike.
To my understanding of the web is that teaching and learning can be equal in one sense of being. Using the Web 2.0 as a teaching method through blogging, Wiki, online courses, or cyber one classroom in Second Life. Second Life can be used for the same purpose for teaching and learning. In early days, a teaching was based on in a classroom with a teacher, blackboard, and books. In 21 century teaching has evolved as well, with the technology that's being created to help them in there assists. In 21 century, Web is also used to able the teachers to give their students, a better understanding of the lesson. The teachers can also used the Web to organize there lesson plan and rubric. It's important because the world using it now. Teachers can use the Web as well for blogging,Wiki, or any Web for there students to comment on instead raising there hand in classroom.
The web as a learning tool is getting bigger and broader all of the time. From programs like western online all the way to you tube you can easily be used to teach or to learn things on the Internet. YouTube has tutorials from anything from Photoshop to fix something on your car. So they have something for pretty much anyone or anything, and if not you can add one to it. People are using the web to look up information, instead of having to go to the library and look the information the hard way. The web is making our lives easier in that way. Also it helps teachers put information up for their students to learn by using programs like western online. Not only university's are using this type of learning material, the Army and many employers are using it also. Using these typed of programs makes it easier for the students and teachers alike. Making us not as dependent on classrooms as our only means of educating and learning.
With web 2.0 teachers are capable of doing much more with there websites. This allows for more user interactivity. Web 2.0 allows users to interact and collaborate with each other making it perfect for instructional based media.
My perception of the web as a learning tool is that the web is an important tool for all types of learners no matter the skill level or computer competency. Today from preschoolers to adult learners, everyone has some knowledge of the web across the globe. Even first time experiences using the web are easy for most to use with little or no help. In terms of learning, many people use the web to gather information or communicate and collaborate with others than any other type of tool used for learning. The web is a fast growing learning tool for many educational institutions because of its wide usage in everyday life and its ease of use.
There are several reasons why the web should be used as a learning tool. I believe that the main reason to learn is curiosity of the learner. The first reason is that the web is very user friendly and there is a small learning curve. As long as the user knows how to read and write, they can basically learn how to operate the web. As long as there is a will to learn, people can find a why to get the information they seek. For instance while viewing the video featuring educational scientist Sugata Mitra, talked about how children from underdeveloped areas learned how to teach themselves. On of the segments showed a boy teaching a girl how to browse the web. He had no prior knowledge of the Internet. The students were given little knowledge if any about how to start up the computer, etc. and ended up learning how to use the program without the use of a teacher. What I learned from this study was that learning could be achieved if the students have the will to learn. The computer easy for the children to figure out that they managed to operate it with little help. The learning curve was something that the students could understand, even within a group setting. They learned quickly how to search the web, and operate many programs by just figuring out what they needed to click.
Personally, I have grown up using the computers and have taken classes that help me understand the web, however, my mother was semi self-taught. She took a class on computers at a community center but she self taught herself how to search on Google and Yahoo. She looks up antiques and prices on eBay, which I helped her figure out key words but she did the rest on her own. She likes to search the web and had little training.
There are many examples of web tools used for learning. In terms of learning, the web is a fantastic supplement from the videos and lectures I have learned from so far. It is amazing how quickly people can get on a blog start communication with someone from another location. I expect that the web will only increase in the near future that would be geared towards a wider range of educational sources. I believe that the web as a learning tool is a value able one since it is a one-stop informational conglomerate. There are many ways learners can access information no matter how much they know technically the learner can find an large amount of information using a variety of methods which the learner can easily access to learn new materials.
The web to me as a teaching tool has evolved so much over the years. I can remember in grammar school we use to use the computers just to play educational games and to use floppy disk. Now teachers are using the web very productively in classes. For instance IDT is a perfect example of using the web for educational purpose such as creating instructional website to teach people how to learn. Teachers also uses blogs for student responses for assignment/topics. The students also take online test and quizzes on a daily basis which in a sense help the student gather there thoughts on there own time without any pressure of there surroundings. The world as a whole has gotten very socially connected for instances with Facebook, twitter and etc. Teachers even be on Facebook to help the students if they need it. I really like using the web for a educational purpose because its faster than using the library and its more convenient excess. I like when teachers use youtube videos to show us a example of there lesson by showing other peoples videos they post. Its interesting because I like watching youtube videos period and for teachers to show us educational things from the site is pretty cool because we can just go back and re-watch those videos. Using Web 2.0 is so innovative to the point teachers uses it on a delay basis thus using blogs and wiki post is a nice way to stay connected to the students from the comfort of your home. Its very good for people to be aware of how much the web is being use as educational purposes because there is so much ways of presenting people with information using the web in such a fast in efficient way. Just like our Western Online site. Technology used for educational purposes is very good to know and have hands on moments because technology is evolving and its good to have some experience with the web.
When I came into IDT 351 I knew that Web 2.0 had something to do with the advent of Social Media/Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg and LinkedIn. Before Web 2.0 there was, obviously, Web 1.0. This early version of the internet was essentially an online information depository with simple Search Engines for retrieving the information for which an individual was seeking. Also, people could send messages or data files to one another either through Email or Instant Message. I vaguely remember the days of Web 1.0, but not very well. Over the course of the class so far, I’ve come to understand that this represents a web evolution that has resulted directly because of the way we’ve been using it.
Search Engines have improved to the point that, like Google and others are trying to predict what it is that a person is searching for and make finding specific information easier for everyone. The Social Media/Networking sites have quickly become necessary tools for millions of people to communicate with each other, pursue individual interests while sharing those interests with others and to handle, share and disseminate information regarding their professional lives. Blogging has given voices to many people who now play a greater role in the world through the force of their opinion. The unprecenented nature of information sharing/networking that has developed through Web 2.0 has given rise to threats to the digital personalities that we create and the privacy we have in both the digital and physical worlds. The web has become integral to the point that it has surpassed television in terms of importance. I know that I turn on my computer in the morning before I turn on the TV as I’m sure lots of people do as well.
Our digital personalities, or as they were described in the video we watched in class, our digital citizenship or footprint has become vital to each of us and potentially valuable to criminals and damaging to others if we are foolish with the information we feed into the machine. Again, the information has equal importance in both digital and physical form. For those who don’t understand the nature of Web 2.0 benefits and dangers, education is of the utmost importance. Fortunately, knowing how to use Web 2.0 doesn’t have to be taught anymore, everyone has literally grown up learning, using, working and playing on the web in varying forms and to different degrees. What’s important is that we learn to utilize Web 2.0 to maximize benefits while minimizing dangers.
Education tailored to help students utilize Web 2.0 is naturally going to be presented and delivered through Web 2.0. Whether they are videos, tutorials or interactive modules, teaching and instruction have the possibility to reach anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The challenge now is to greater understand how to use the web to learn and how people learn using the web.
With the explosion of new advances in information technology and digital devices, the impact of technology changes the way that teaching and learning takes place.
As technology becomes more pervasive, the challenge for teachers to integrate technology
into instruction is no longer based on the viability of technology-based learning but is
shifted to a decision about when to use the technology and how to use it for more effective educational experiences. Recently, innovative webbased
technologies and social networking tools(Web 2.0 tools) are applied to different teaching contexts by building student-teacher learning communities,
sharing educational resources, and enhancing mutual communications that promote
constructivist-based collaborative learning approaches. With such approaches, students act as active learners to seek relevant resources, build cognitive artifacts, exchange information and feedback, and
complete the assigned tasks collaboratively. The adoption of web-based technologies
in academic learning creates an innovative learning environment and establishes connection to students' life. Consequently, teacher preparation and development
program should investigate how to design effective courses to assist teachers in acquiring knowledge to capitalise upon these affordances in their teaching practices such as making interactive games and 3D models.
Overall Web tools should be used in the educational purposes.
Knowledge and teaching skills have come a long way from what they used to be, but they are still not at there full potential. While teachers try there best to help people learn using the web some of the teachers need to learn it themselves. Don’t get me wrong it’s great to have knowledge at your fingertips but it comes down to how the knowledge is thought to someone at the end of the day. I have been thought through my IDT classes that no two people are the same so it doesn’t really matter what the information is that their thought, but how the information is thought to each individual person. This can be seen in the video that we watched in class about how the tablets will become the new computers and how we will be able to use this them for everything. Without web 2.0 we wouldn’t be able to accomplish as much as we have in the technology field. Almost all classes that I have taken in both college and in high school we used the web at least once. Now a days some schools use the web for everything thing. This is the start of no more hardcover textbooks they are all going to be online to download. This could be a good thing because kids don’t have to carry around 50LBs. of text books, but it could be a bad thing cause some people like paper copy’s. Having this much knowledge can also be bad because we don’t know what information is correct and what information is false. With that being said we have to double-check our sources that we are looking at so we are sure that we have found the correct information.
Today in schools most teachers try use the web in some sort of way to help teach. Like the video of “A day made of glass” it shows how one-day technology will advance so far where as to where white boards and desks all become computer based. I think that by incorporating more technology into learning it will get students more interested and more motivated to learn. I know I would rather learn from a computer then a book. Most if not all classes use the Internet in some way. Some show videos to help explain, others require the Internet to find information for papers, or in WIU’s case they use Western Online to post homework and keep up with their classes. Then there is the down side to online learning. There can be problems with cheating and/or inappropriate postings. Strong guidance would be needed to make sure students wont abuse the network.
I still believe that web resources deserve a place in the classroom. In teaching children to utilize these tools, we are helping them transition into an world that is increasingly dependent upon these technologies. As a parent, I know that there can be abuses of parent and teacher trust; for example, one of my son's friends created an additional facebook account that she kept secret from her parents, thereby bypassing the vigilant watch they kept on her primary account. Therefore, I think there is validity to the argument that even the best privacy controls can be bypassed. I do not, however, agree that for that reason alone, mainstream tools do not belong in the classroom.
There is some responsibility for educators as well as for parents to monitor their children's online behavior and though it can be very difficult, there are tools to help. They may be underutilized, however, by educators/parents who are unaware of them or uncomfortable with technology. Perhaps schools should focus on not only educating the students and staff about online privacy and protective measures, but also educate the parents and foster a cooperative environment for them.
At the very least, many institutions would benefit from intelligently and securely creating their own online communities using Content Management Systems such as, for example, Moodle. This would at least allow students to begin learning how to publish digitally, retrieve information and collaborate socially.
Learning is something that will be synonymous with humans for as long as we live. We have gone through different ways of learning now we are in the technology era. Gaining knowledge from the web is actually pretty innovative and yes even though it makes us lazy at least it is fast. One can gain knowledge in an instant when using the web to learn. Using the web is also good for teachers because since more students use the web a lot he teacher can just inform the student with all the materials online and I am pretty certain that most of the students will complete their work. It is also good for those who love nature because we do not have to burn down trees that would be to make books. I think though that the era of using the web to learn is not going to last because humans create new technology as time goes by soon enough we might learn like how they do in the Matrix(If you have not seen that movie WATCH IT AT THIS MOMENT OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE).
Web and social media will end up being a must for education and learning. It is the direction everything is going. The web has become so easy to access now with faster internet speeds, Wi-Fi, and smart phones you can’t get away from it. As Don Tapscott says in his video it’s a sort of learning revolution. Children have more information at their fingertips than anyone could have imaged. Not all of it is good information but that’s where we still have the need for instructors. Professors and teachers will not simply drill what information they think is important into their students but rather point them in the right direction to learn the right things. Like I said before children now have access to more information than any instructor could possibly have time to teach them.
Over the past 6 years my perception of the web has changed dramatically. Started when I simply joined Facebook my freshman year of college. The way I communicated began to shift from mobile or face to face interaction to web communication. Communication was never easier. Instead of going down to someone room then to find out they were not there you would just send them a message on Facebook and they would get it when they could. Then with the evolution of the mobile phone to the smart phone people are now connected 24/7. Next the thing that changed the way I looked at the web was learning online. Tools such as YouTube really broadened my ability to learn things. Now there are hundreds of thousands of tutorial and instructional videos online for anyone to access.
As with any form of communication privacy and safety become a concern. The TED video with Eli Pariser
really struck a chord with me. He talks about how Facebook in a way censored his new feed based on what the code thought he would want to see more. Now why this is a small example of online censorship it raises the issue of the web being filtered by what Eli Pariser called the web gatekeepers. It an issue that will become larger as our learning and communication shifts more towards web.
When it comes to the web as a teaching tool, I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t happen. As “Learning to Change” says, kids already learn from many places beyond schools; one of these places happens to be the internet. Learning is already shifting away from its current classroom format, becoming more based on communities and being able to find information, as opposed to simply knowing it. With the rise of the web, information has been becoming easier to find, as shown in “Information R/evolution”. Searches are now done through words, tags, and links instead of by looking through categories, and one piece of information may be reached through many different “places.”
The internet also makes learning more of a community-based affair. One place this can be seen is “Dragonfly Effect,” where people come together and use a blog to share information with the world. This is an example of the community coming together to teach others, wherever they may be. Another example of this is the “Open Source Teaching Project,” where teachers collaborate and share materials with each other. Precautions should be made, however, to ensure that the materials used for teaching do not violate copyright laws, and that is where the “Creative Commons” comes in; it is a community effort to provide materials that can be used without fear of such violations. These community efforts make information easier to come by, therefore acting as a teaching tool.
The web has already changed the landscape of learning. We just have to accept it.
Technology has been growing as a component into teaching as long as it’s been around. Just recently however, people have been implementing the web into the every day environment. Learning is becoming more and more interactive with the growing age. To do this, the web is often used. However, many people have concerns about privacy. The interconnectivity of the web isn’t very private. Anyone can see what you’re doing. And with the growing technology, such as information about where you are and what you’re doing on the web, this privacy greatly decreases. Although this helps many companies make your Web experience more personal and relatable to you, it also infringes on your privacy. How much information do we really want companies to know? This philosophy just recently took off. As we learned in the video we watched in class, many people do not even know this is going on. They’re not aware they’re sharing any information with anyone. But they are very wrong. A lot of people set up accounts and never check the settings. They simply follow the defaults. The defaults are often what the companies want, not necessarily what the consumer would want, if they were aware of all of this. There have been many scams on the Internet, such as companies selling your information as well. Everyone gets spam, and this is an example of this. A lot of people aren’t cautious when using the Internet. But to avoid online leaks, this is a must. Although the Internet can be a great thing, it also has its downfalls too. So, even when using the Internet as a educational tool, it’s still important to be careful and always check what you’re doing.
All together, great posts! I am really glad to see that all see strengths and promises very clearly. When it comes to generalizations, such as tech adoption, use, or work completion, this framework about Adoption Curve is worth knowing.
https://www.google.com/search?q=adoption+curve&client=firefox-a&hs=UpP&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=TUvyUqndBMbXyAGH1IC4AQ&ved=0CCcQsAQ&biw=1023&bih=596
Last but not least, among many good post, hope everyone can check and benchmark Jonathan's post (many others are also very good) - to the point addressing questions, incorporating sources and personal experiences, what to address in implementation, work is excellent! Haley also put most detailed thoughts about the downside of the web, very true of current practices, worth paying more attention proportionally as use of the web keeps increasing!
1. I feel that more and more web tools are being adopted and brought into learning within the past 5 years. I particularly enjoy open source teaching, by this I mean things like: iTunes U and MITopencourseware. The programs that are making it possible for students around the globe to take classes at schools they may have never been able to go to and learn in depth. OER commons is also an excellent place that provides a similar service and I feel this is a step in the right direction when it comes to formal yet informal learning. ReThinking Learning by the MacArthur Foundation was also interesting because it gave an insight to gamers but how they learn and want to see the bottom line of what they are doing, they want to be measured against others and learn from what they are doing or “playing”. Learning the tools and skills of the 21st century is something that can be beneficial to students through digital media, it’s not always something that needs to be used for work preparation or career development but providing a safe space for students to learn/socialize and even have fun in a safe environment.
2. The ways to improve digital literacy might be concerning to some. As stated, by leaving that digital footprint or creating that digital tattoo as talked about in the videos by Juan Enriquez and Wesley Fryer. This is the way the industry is turning though is you have to have some online presence but need to control the content you are letting out. KLOUT is a way for us to measure that presence though and keep an eye on what we are putting out there digitally for all to see. Privacy is the number one concern with most people, the simplest way of keeping your privacy is by filtering what you are doing and what you are making available for people to see but there are things in place to help with privacy and your rights. Such as “Internet Society” and “The Electronic Frontier Foundation”. These are useful in finding out ways to protect your rights and privacy using these web tools. “CopyrightFriendly” is a website designed to be exactly as its name suggests and that is to provide useful images/music and almost anything else you can think of to keep you from committing copyright infringement by making the resources open source and available to all.
(1) I found that tools such as Google Docs and Wiki are great online collaboration tools that can be used for a variety of classes. It is readily available in and outside the classroom, because it is accessible on smart phones, tablets, and computers. Another great source is OER Commons, because it provides a variety of different teaching materials. These tools and materials gathered from OER would inspire students to learn, because of the variety of interactivity it offers. One of the greatest web tools we have been further expanding on are online courses, which are courses that are taught straight through universities, or for free through websites and apps. Coursera is especially beneficial because it teaches you time management, technological, and self-learning skills, as well as provides you with the freedom to learn what you want to learn without being sentenced to a physical classroom. The question is, have I seen these tools and other web resources being utilized to their full potential? Not exactly. For instance, “Knowledge to Knowledgeable” still shows, from a college instructor’s demonstration, that learning is reading textbooks, writing papers, and memorizing certain information in order to pass a class. I feel that students haven’t acquired the necessary skill that allows them utilize the web and other resources to achieve a solid level of learning. Why haven’t they? Well, it’s because we’re wasting money and time on methods that are not working when we should be putting more money into good teachers and good technology. Referring to “Singapore’s 21st Century Teaching Strategies”, and “Finland's Formula for School Success”, just looks at their students, they are learning more effectively because the teachers are paid better and they incorporate web tools and technology into their teaching. I never doubted that web tools were great, and they should be incorporated more into the learning process, but even though some people are onboard, such as the ones from “Learning to change – Changing to learn”, not enough people are making that move towards the revolutionary Web 2.0 teaching tools era in America.
(2) The biggest way to approve digital literacy is to be aware of what the web is actually doing. In “Be aware online filter bubbles”, Eli talks about how we have our own space on the web where we absorb information, but only information that the algorithms deem actuate for us. Opposing opinions, important information, you probably don’t even know they’re out there because the web filters sources as to cater to your “personality”. In “Your phone company is watching”, phone carriers know every little detail of your life because it stores every bit of data your phone uses for possibly years. Most people aren’t aware of how social they are, the networks they create, how it’s all kept basically hidden, but also how you are able to ask and receive that information because it is your right. Facebook, Twitter, etc., allow you to change your privacy settings to fit your specific needs, but sadly, some things like web searching and phone data storage are harder to control. When it comes to copyright infringement use OER Commons for open source materials, or look to Creative Commons to find materials that specify copyright rules. Life isn’t always safe and fair, but you do in fact have Internet rights and tools like KLOUT, so take the steps to educate and protect yourself.
1. My perception of the Web as a teaching tool is as follows; it is under-utilized. In my limited experience I have noticed that while in the upper education environment the web is used more than in high school and lower education, however I feel the only reason for this is that a university education has greater funding, and less overhead. In my opinion for the web to used effectively, there must be some form of redundancy in the availability of the instruction, so in the event a server is down, or performing maintenance, or there is some other connection issue the content will still be available.
The benefits of using the web for instruction are that not everyone has to be in the same place as the instructor, so if practiced correctly there does not need to be a regular class meeting time or place. If the information is made available and the motivation to learn the material is present, the teacher really only needs to be a resource available for question about the information presented. I really like the TED videos, and I am very happy that they are a free online resource. Many of the teaching tools on TED can be implemented on an individual basis with a positive effect to the classroom experience. I specifically like the talk by Ramsey Musallam, having students want to know more about an idea than what was presented is one of the key ways to make sure that education is a great experience. His demonstration in the classroom, sparked his students interests enough, that they went home and tried to replicate the experiment, and change it in ways of their own.
His instruction changed the events his students participated in that day.
The TED talks also may open our minds to real problems that we were not aware existed, Eli Pariser explains the online filter bubble is a real problem, not on the level of starving children, or unemployment, but in a learning sense more so. By creating an online filter bubble you are in part censoring the information presented to the user.
This un-intentional censoring can greatly change how a person sees the world.
2. In the event that this horrible situation actually took place I would do my best to make the most of the situation. I would do my best to educate the individuals who are enamored with social media the downfalls of no fact checking sources, As well as making sure that their social lives do not portray a negative view of themselves.
In the video by Malte Spitz he explains that you cell phone provider is watching you actions, and given the long contracts that you sign and no one most likely reads in depth (a practice only available in the United States of America, 217 countries in the world, 216 you can have a phone without a cell phone contract) they are most likely doing more with the information they are collecting about your phone usage then you would probably like.
I believe that web tools are useful to education. I do believe that it can help but it needs to be used correctly which could take some extra planning time on the educator’s part depending on what web tools are used. Web tools such as Google Docs is a great collaboration tool. I think that web tool are underused in K-12 education, however I am sure part of this is Common Core caused. Teachers are being taught more and more specific things in K-12 school and it is cutting out the education aspect of education. Sir Ken Robinson talks how creativity is being squashed in school. He believes that creativity should be as important in school as literacy. I being we are far from that in schools currently. Robinson makes very good points in his TED talk video.
We have to use web tools to help us be more relevant to the students that are learning. To help them learn connect it to real world things. In the video from knowledge to knowledge-able by Michael Wesch he discusses this approach in great detail. Is it important for me to know that what I am learning is going to be used in the real world. Web tools are a great way to connect things to real life.
To improve digital literacy you need to be aware of what is out there on the web and that not all of it is accurate. It is important to be able to filter out all of the junk on the web and find what is relative to you. All the searches that performed on the web, are tailored to what “they” think you want. It is based on your computer, web-browser, and many other things. This is called a filter bubble in the video beware online filter bubbles by Eli Pariser. This is an important thing to watch for and help you be more digitally literate. Copyright infringement is a huge deal and is very important to know about. As we talked about I class OER and Creative Commons are websites that have things that are copyright free and help you copyright your things.
When talking about web tools today, it is important to understand what they can bring. Bringing these tools to the classroom is important for teachers and students for overall more effective learning. Students should be more exposed to the web in educational environments because it is simply a better way of learning. Starting from a very young age, people should get familiar with the web because the more experience you have, the more you will be able to use it effectively. It is important however, not to abuse the web as it is a very powerful and influential tool. Certain tools should be used very cautiously and used in educational standpoints. The TED talks that I have reviewed are excellent as they talk about the web as a whole and all of its possibilites. Pariser talks about the good and the bad about web tools and how they should be used. He explains his reasoning to perfection as the web is here for us to learn from.
In improving digital literacy, it is important to understand our surroundings. Understanding how to block certain things out in the web for privacy reasons is important to many and must be taught effectively. When talking about copyright infringement, it is important to know what to do and how to do things properly in this area. Utilizing Creative Commons is way that you can copyright materials and also find materials to use. Many people probably don't even know they are violating copyright laws when they work on certain things so it is critical to understand how these things can be avoided.
People use the web to teach themselves and others information for many different reasons. What I believe is the main or one of the most popular is that it can be fast and easy to become more knowledgeable about a topic this way. You can watch a video or read about something multiple times until you understand it. If one source is hard to understand you can search for another because usually there are hundreds out there for you to use. In the video Growing Up Digital Don Tapscott talks about how younger generations are better at multi-tasking and using the web is part of how they gained that skill. By using the web to teach others and yourself about a topic it can be more engaging and sometimes a better way to teach a topic and the generation that Tapscott is referring to is taking the web to do that in a way that other generations haven’t. They have also found faster ways to communicate information across the world by using the web than people have in the past making learning easier and more interactive in some ways.
To try to improve the employees digital literacy I would probably start by explaining the different ways that you can use the internet for educational/work purposes. I would teach them about online databases and what sources are reliable and which ones are not. As far as social media goes I would tell them to be careful about what they post because once it’s on the web anyone can see it and it will be out there forever. Juan Enriquez talks about this in the TED video Your online life, permanent as a tattoo saying that what you do on the internet is basically a electronic tattoo and once you do something you most likely can’t undo it. The internet can be a very helpful thing but it can also cause a lot of trouble and you have to know how to use it.
My knowledge of web as learning tools now is that it is better than it was ten or fifteen years ago. With the growth of the web, sites, for example YouTube, are becoming a more popular place to find free tutorials on just about any subject. As the web continues to grow other tutorial sites will become a place for people to go to learn different subjects on their own free time. Unlike learning over the web teaching can be slightly harder. There may be videos to teach you and have instructions, but sometimes you need interactions with the person teaching you. In a classroom setting you can ask the professor and can get immediate help, but online you have to wait for a response and sometimes it will take time for them to get back to you or they may not get back to you at all. In the future I could see teaching being more web base with more sites now supporting live streaming.
If I am charged with improving digital literacy and web/social media use and the employees are concerned about privacy, Internet rights, and copyright infringement then I would compile some resources from the web to help educate them on these concerns. One of the resources could be KLOUT so that they can measure their social media impact on the web. If they are worried about copyright infringement then there are sites that they can use that have royalty free or copyright friendly. Some sites are copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com and creativecommons.org. They can also learn about the different creative commons licenses on creativecommons.org/licenses/.
I think that school leaders are under pressure from students, parents or teachers to promote effective uses of web tools in today’s schools. Because today’s students grew up with the Internet and have never known a world without the Internet, cellphone, and video games; teachers need to consider whom their students are and how they are learning. Using web 2.0 for education would help students to develop the 21 century skills that include critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration; because web 2.0 offers more interactivity allowing users to add and change internet contact easily and to collaborate and communicate instantaneously in order to share, develop, and distribute information and new ideas (Schrum & B. Levin) As Richardson (2009) points out, “The new Web 2.0 culture encourages students to reuse and remix resources as well as create new knowledge. Students take an active role in learning, rather than passively receiving information from instructors. Web 2.0 has the potential to create more interactive and powerful learning environments in which learners become knowledge creators, producers, editors, and evaluators”
According to www.21stcenturyskills.org “People in the 21 century live in a technology and media- suffused environment; to be effective in the 21 century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology”. (Partnership for 21 st Century skills)
In education communication is an important skill. Communication is key with the students. Through using web tools in teaching, teachers will open a new way for their students to communicate with other students. It creates a social interaction between teachers and students, which helps the students to become comfortable in their learning environment, leading to student success. For example, when students use blogs for their writing assignments other students are their audience, this helps students create better writing skills and encourages students to collaborate about these topics, and teacher can post websites that are beneficial to their learning.
I would like to say that Web could be a good tool for teaching and learning, but still it have some disadvantage compare with how we learning normally. When using Web as a learning tool, people can learn when they can and learn what they want to learn. But as a teaching tool, people cannot really teach as what they want to teach and feel really comfortable using Web. Let me give two examples. I used to take AP calculus course though K12, and we meet every weekend by using Web that I’m in China and teacher is in U.S. We have cameras and microphones, we can take and see each other but it’s really waste time that when teacher ask us to work on some problems and using mouse to write it down so all of us can see it. Teacher can tell you how to do the work, how to understand things, but it wastes really bunch of time writing down works by mouse. And now I’m taking economic course by Web. It has textbook online and all the staff teacher want us to know and to work on. But we never met. Teacher won’t teaching you by talking, showing the solution to the question, telling you how to understand things. But Web really gives people an environment that could leave anything they want and take their time to learn, to teach. It won’t influences by distance and other things that my influences their learning.
I would improve the digital literacy by using different ways to explain what it means and using different sources that I can use to avid copyright infringement to help them. I would recommend them to think about what they will post on the web so that they won’t being worried about the privacy. By using royalty free or copyright friendly resources and information to avoid copyright infringement problems.
My perception of the web as a teaching tool has expanded tremendously since I've been here at WIU. Initially, I didn't think much of the web as a teaching or learning tool mainly because I had little experience with it aside from utilizing a few websites. Now my opinion of it is that there's a lot of untapped potential with using the web for teaching. There are a plethora of tutorials online about various subjects, but as far as utilizing it properly in a classroom, I feel we've barely scratched the surface. There's a lot of potential for it, however we have yet to fully understand and realize what it can do.
As I am the one that's in charge of improving our digital literacy and web/social media use, there is much I can do. The first thing that comes to mind would be to rid their worries of privacy, copyright and internet rights. There are various websites with articles and videos that explain each concept and idea. I would research the topics heavily, before creating a power point or video that would help to educate my employees. At the end of said power point/video, there'd be a quick assessment to make sure everyone fully understands.
Key insights from these comments:
• Teaching is becoming and will need to be more web-based (Joe)
• the importance of planning on the part of the teacher (Kathryn)
• web has become a great and essential learning platform (Garrett, Melissa, Nick, Jordan, Ken (great points about teaching must focus on having students develop desire to learn more about the content)
• how it must be within not just teacher and students, but as a system including leaders and societal support (Courtney)
• For teaching and learning, teacher must focus on facilitating communications to help students develop 21st skills
• One thing I like to add and challenge you all, please don’t form an attitude, “if we build it, they will come”. Instead, think about how you will involve students and employees as co-creators of your solutions (whether teaching or training).
Using the web for improving teaching and learning is both beneficial and convenient. The web allows individuals to access endless amounts of information. Both students and teachers can use information to share with themselves or others. Students can use the internet to gain information on topics they are learning in class or need for a project or paper. Teachers can use the internet to supply more information to students or learn new ways to motivate and engage their students in the classroom. The web provides easy communication tools that is useful for individuals who might have question or concerns after set class times. Teachers and students can communicate with each other after class hours quickly and easily. The web can also give further insight to topics that people may not fully understand the first time they learn it. I don't know how many times a teacher has taught a subject in class that i did not fully understand, or that they could not explain it in a way that would click for me. When this happens I go online and look up information on the topic and browse different sites until i find one that explains it in a way that i can process and understand. This also goes for teachers, they sometimes show videos made my others in class to educate their students rather than try to lecture to them.
To improve digital literacy, I would educate individuals on several topics, such as links provided to us in the previous week. Electronic Tattoos, Online Amplicfication, Personal Bubble Filters, etc. These references would give insight to emloyees about online rights and safety as well as things they can expect to see when using the internet. Since all information on the internet isn't always accurate i would also educate about reliable sources that can be used for gaining infomation on the topics they are seeking.
For most people, privacy is the number one concern. The easy way to keep your privacy is by keeping track of what you are doing and what you want others to see. In this situation, I would try my best to teach people that are fascinated with social media, the good and bad things of using this tool. Also by letting them know that not all what is on the web is true. To be conscious of what they publish on the web, because any person that has internet access can see it and it could bring consequences later on.
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