Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Web 2.0, New Tools, New Schools -- Chapter 1 (new world, new web, new skills)

Solomon and Schrum in their book, Web 2.o, New Tools, New Schools share the following ideas in Chapter 1:

"By the early 2000's, the notion of interactivity went from linking and clicking to creating and sharing. Now individuals not only find and read information but also create and share their own in real time. It is a new Web, known as Web. 2.0." Wow! This is the essence of how to describe the premise behind Web 2.0 tools and why digital natives love them. To create something of your own and share it with others to improve it, learn from it, or simply enjoy it is so powerful for not only the individual, but for connected groups as well. The clicking and linking concept is so singular whereas the new Web 2.0 is global in perspective.

"In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them(Binder, cited in Friedman, 2005, p. 302)." Wow again! It will not be how much we educate our students because they will have embraced the concept of lifelong learners and not even realize it. The Web 2.o tools will draw them into learning as a natural extension of who they are, but for that to happen educators must embrace a way of teaching -- a new way of motivating students to what to learn -- instilling the desire to learn must be the paramount focus in this new age of Web. 2.0. Students who embrace the idea of self learning will do well and be employable -- if they embrace the concept of creating and sharing they will acquire the skills needed in job market, in essence they will be able to teach themselves to do any job they want.

"It is important to ask: Who will be prepared for the new world? Who will have the technological and thinking skills needed for the 21st century? And how can we help them prepare?" Those who embrace the ideas of sharing creating and understand the tools that can assist with these ideas will be ready for the 21st century. Many corporations are now expecting student to be ready with technological tools that enable them to create and share for the betterment of the company. Students will not be prepared for the 21st century workplace if educators do not begin to prepare them -- if educators do not embrace that they need to change the means by which they teach -- educators must step up and acknowledge that Web 2.0 is here and should be used to empower themselves as well as their students because education is remaining stagnant, but is changing and changing rapidly.

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