Web 2.0: Enhancing Education Through Technology

This news article explains that just because students have grown up in the technology age, doesn't mean they are experts in using that technology. It highlights the 3 areas students must master for success with using technology to research: "The ability to identify trustworthy and useful information; The ability to manage overabundant information; and The ability to communicate information effectively." As we use web 2.0 we must remember to teach our students how to use these tools effectively, not just assume they can use them because they've grown up in the tech environment.

This news article begins by pointing out that "online digital technology has empowered users in ways that were unimaginable twenty years ago." Social media sites, for example, allow the average user to persuade and influence others on a global scale. The author argues that with this power comes the responsibility to apply a media literacy framework that will ensure that we are not perpetuating harmful media messages and ideas. The framework developed in 1987 by the Center for Media Literacy is still relevant in today's media landscape, and its five key concepts should serve as guidelines for all those currently engaged in online social networking.

This blog explains about the key concepts in social media and by reading this blog you understand Key Concepts explained further in this article. List of 5 key Concepts: All Media Messages Are "Constructed",Media Messages Shape Our Perceptions of Reality, Different Audience, Different Understanding of the Same Message,Media Messages Have Commercial Implications and Media Messages Embed Points of View

This article spells out the five key concepts of media literacy (created in 1987) in order to gain a critical understanding of social media. Now that we are creators and not just consumers of media we need to think more about what we are putting out there and the influence that has.

I have never been a fan of lecturing during class...for either the high school or college classes I teach. If there is information I need to share, I will always use a Power Point (or something similar) and then make those files available for students to download. But even when presenting information in this manner, I continue to engage students with questions, asking for real life examples, etc. And I limit the time, or break it up with another activity. It seems to work pretty well and the ideas from this article pretty much confirm what I have always felt about the lecture style class.

This news article points out the different ways sound and visual technology can enhance student learning. No longer are students just creating information blogs, but they are able to include sound in their projects and blogs, using Chrome Classroom. Different applications are: BookTrak, BioDigital Human, Pixir, Geddit and MoveNote. All are programs used in the classroom to enhance learning by bring visual and sound into the students learning. Using the BioDigital Human on Chromebook and see the different parts of the body come alive using video and sound can only improve a student's memory. Three different senses experiencing the learning at the same time.

One way that web 2.0 helps students improve information literacy is to give them to tools to present information. An excellent way for students to present (as well as teach!) information is by building an app! More and more app building programs are popping up.

This article attracted my attention due to my affiliation with Graduation Portfolios for our district. I loved the idea of students taking ownership of their Portfolio in terms of linking it to an electronic format they could *present* at the end of the school year. One of the apps listed ("Three Ring") sounded really interesting, and I hope to model it with next year's Seniors.

This article was great. Our high school students should be creating career portfolios and some of the programs like Evernote and Three Ring seem to be great ways of collecting and organizing career information. Employers are now looking at what students have accomplished over a paper resume. Some employers want to see you digital resume' with examples of a student's work. These two programs seem to be a great way to help students be prepared for the new way employers might require for job interviews. One other website is a great resource for Student Portfolios and that is MassCis. Not only does it have the ability to upload exemplars, but it has lessons teachers can use that are aligned with the standards to help students explore their career interests. Imagine, career information, career inventories, goal setting activities, resume writing, college and financial information, teachers' lesson plans and student portfolios all on the same website. Each student can create a portfolio and have it from the middle school through high school. Check it out: www.masscis.intocareers.com

This article gives a great description of flipped classrooms and how a flipped classroom will expand on media and 21st century learning skills in the classroom and outside of the classroom. It develops a sense of the changing paradigm of the typical sage on the stage teacher and creating the digital literate classroom.

How using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Edmodo can enable formative assessment and improve student achievement. Students become more engaged in learning through the use of these tools in the classroom

This is a really fun website for students to use online and work through grammar exercises.

A British website that has many free resources to download in PDF. Sometimes needs to be tweaked for American English, but a fantastic resource for literature, language, media resources.

Jason Bretzmann is a teacher who founded The Bretzmann Group that runs courses online through MTI for teachers. The courses carry graduate credit. I have his book 'Flipping 2.0' which is an excellent resource. I also took a course with Jason this past March - it was very informative and interactive. I Highly recommend taking a course with Jason!

With CCSS upon us, this website is a great tool for students to work through informational texts, vocabulary and grammar online - at grade level. There are free samples to try out - then it seems you need to commit to purchasing. Very accessible and the free samples are worthwhile.

With more and more emphasis being placed on a deeper understanding of material from the College Board with the changes to the SAT and any AP updates, we need to develop ways for our 21st century students to make these connections. Never mind that we want them to succeed regardless of College Board, anyway . . .

Preparing students for a 21st Century education in a global society. This website and its documents explore the 4 Cs' of education: Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication.

The slogan is "start simple". That works for me! This allows you to curate tools for tech. use in the classroom. The tools can be grouped according to their use. Bookmarking, movie making etc.

Sir Ken Robinson really has his finger on the pulse of what needs to happen within educational systems to bring education into the 21st Century for all students. We cannot pay lip service to Bloom's Taxonomy or students' different learning styles, if - as Sir Ken says - we keep trying to do it, using educational models from the past. This is a great and empowering resource to listen to - for the benefit of our students.

This Edutopia article highlights how to develop the seven steps you need to help bring social media in your classroom and adapt a social media policy in your school culture. It shares valuable resources to get to a shared vision for your school.