November Tech Event 15.11.07, Wigan Investment Centre
How could you use Voki? Poetry, stories, raps, school news bulletins ....
A simpler definition from Wikipedia
It boils down to using the web as a platform for software instead of your pc - and because you are on the web it opens up all manner of possibilities in terms of sharing, collaboration and learning.
Web 2.0 applications are characterised by all or some of the following features:
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Simple and intuitive to use
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Collaborative in nature (Usually rely on the user base for content)
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free or very cheap
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Extensive use of tagging to organise the web
Why is Web 2.0 important?
In 2006 Don Tapscott published a book called "Wikinomics, How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
".
The basic premise is that in the 21st Century businesses will seek to cut costs yet improve productivity and innovation through mass collaboration through the use of tools such as wikis.
He sites Proctor & Gamble as an organisation that has changed from a hierarchical structure with a traditional R&D department to one which has developed an "ecosystem" of external collaborators who are incentivised to add value to the company's activities.
To take this book to its logical conclusion, we no longer rely on training and teaching students to fill a particular role such as engineer, scientist, teacher or whatever. In the future these roles will all require skills such as the ability to collaborate with teams spread across the globe; to filter the vast amounts of information that is coming their way and to communicate ideas effectively and simply through the medium of the internet.
Web 2.0 and its role in Education
John Naughton wrote in his Observer column about the ICT curriculum as experienced by most secondary children in England.
Article published in John's blog.
The essential argument in this article is that the QCA curriculum for ICT is an outmoded paradigm based on learning key skills in preparation for work. This leads to a stultifying and overwhelming reliance on skills, especially in the use of Microsoft Office. Children are already building networks through MySpace and Bebo: they are embracing the web and mobile communications in ways which the educational establishment is barely coming to grips with. The response is to block it all out and learn how to do PowerPoints. What is PowerPoint going to look like when these kids leave school?
A quote from the article:
"Our schools are providing ICT training, whereas what is needed is ICT Education.
To appreciate the distinction, think of sex. Would we be happy if schools provided sex training rather than sex education for our children? You only have to ask the question to know the answer."
Web 2.0 allows children and schools to collaborate, network and learn from each other efficiently, simply and incredibly cheaply. You don't need to install any software, you plug into the web wherever you are and go. It teaches these core skills in whatever curriculum area you choose to apply the tools.
Good Web 2.0 tools also provide a level of engagement not often found in traditional forms of ICT an provide children with opportunities to break out of the confines of their classroom.
There is also an argument strongly put by many contributors to the Voicethread at the foot of this page, and by John Naughton above, that says that children are operating in an increasingly complex digital world and if we as educators fail to adapt our curricula to this challenge we will be providing an increasingly outmoded and irrelevant curriculum.
A zoho slideshow on Softease's blog
The curriculum is dead - the teacher as tour guide - David Warlick
Voicethread presentation by Quentin D'Souza and Rob Delorenzo
Also speaking at the conference was DK from Mediasnackers - he showed this inspirational video which sums up in 4 minutes why the teaching profession needs to change and adopt the challenge.
If you search for "Web 2.0 school" in Slideshare, you get 16,488 results.
"Students stop being mirrors and become amplifiers." David Warlick, School 2.0
Key Tools
Although this video is about Google Docs, it illustrates neatly why online collaboration is just a more efficient way of working (included at the suggestion of twowhizzy):
The Security Issue
For most people social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Youtube are little more than opportunities to allow undesirable online behaviour:
- Cyberbullying (Happy slapping videos on Youtube)
- Grooming (via fake MySpace profiles etc)
- Posting inappropriate content from teen parties
As educators we have a duty to focus on the positive and confront the negative. We need to educate young people to show them the real consequences of their actions on their victims and the potential unintended consequences of those actions on themselves.
American employers routinely search sites such as MySpace, Youtube and Facebook for profiles of job applicants and we need to discuss with young people the issues surrounding leaving a digital trail on the web.
Additionally, teachers need to be concerned about their own online activities and their personal use of website such as Facebook. For example, is it acceptable for a teacher to add a child as a "Facebook Friend" on their own profile? Teachers coming out of teacher tarining college who will be very active on social networks may not have considered the issues surrounding this. (blog article on my blog with links to the Byron Report)
Useful weblinks for Web 2.0
- Read/Write Web Can often be a bit techie, but you get early notice of lots of interesting Web 2.0 applications
- del.icio.us A seminal web 2.0 application with great potential for use in school: here's my del.icio.us site
- Phanfare A great subscription service for hosting images and video without all the ads and dodgy stuff you get on Youtube.
- Solidcasts A fantastic free podcasting site for schools to host and create their own podcast feeds
- Pageflakes Create your personalised home page for the web and use it on any computer anywhere. Here's my public Pageflakes page
- Zoho A great example of an online office suite where users can collaborate
- pbwiki Just one example of a free wiki service that educators can use (this wiki uses Zoho, also free) And, of course wikipedia
- My Society A collection of websites designed to engage people in local and national poiltics - possibilities for citizenship education?
- Blogs The personal web-publishing phenomenon - this page is a collection of schools who blog
- Teachertube Free video hosting site for educators based on the Youtube model
- Voki Animate your podcasts and embed them in your blog.
- Voicethread This is a great site allowing you to post an image or presentation and have multiplevoice comments added.
More links in the sidebar on the right.
Resources
Download Terry Freedman's seminal booklet on the new web. Peter Ford was one of the contributors: http://fordlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/Coming_of_age_v1-2.pdf
Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts is a very easy to read book by Will Richardson introducing the basic tools of Web 2.0 and lots of ideas on how to use them. Recommended.
Find out More
A plea to the controllers of LEA firewalls wherever you may be (thanks for spotting this DD):
Feedback
Feel free to add your comments below. Edit the wiki and add useful links. During the plenary, go to the issues and discussion points page and add your thoughts and questions.
Or, if you are feeling slightly more adventurous, visit this Voicethread and add your voice to the agument.
This is the link kindly left by the children of Motorua:
http://moturoa.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-have-we-learnt-from-using.html
Find Me
John Sutton john@creativeict.co.uk
On Twitter: HGjohn
On the web: http://www.creativeict.co.uk/
My blog: http://www.creativeict.typepad.com/
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