K12 learning 2.0:  Tools for 21st Century Teaching & Learning

THING “Two” (Session One)
Learn a bit about Web 2.0 and Why it Matters . . .

My thoughts about Web 2.0 . . .

PRE – WEB

It’s amazing how fast and quickly we change in the ways we communicate.  I remember in the mid to late 1980’s of sending e-mail before the internet.  How’s that possible?  If you were using a computer, there were no web pages or web sites but a networked group of messageboards.  These computers were setup in a series of nodes and hubs.  To access them, a caller will usually connect with one of these hub computers that were running software that would allow you to connect and view content such as games, files and message areas.  If I were to post a message, each night this computer would gather up all of the posted messages for the day and transfer them to other node computers and deposit them to the correct destination user.  They would then read them and hopefully reply.  If you were lucky, you might get to read a reply within 1 to 2 days.  All of this done by slow modems.  This was a very popular method of electronic messaging in the late 80’s and early 90’s just before the internet.  In the Chattanooga, Tennessee area there were over 70 electronic bulletin board systems available for use and they were all quite busy every day as well as others all across the country and even in locations outside the United States.

WEB 1.0

Web 1.0 came along with the Internet and everyone wanted to build their own web pages.  Well, I managed to get one up mainly for content sharing.  At this time Windows 95 was released and everyone was scrambling to figure out how to use this new operating system.  I had created some snapshot directions of how to network 2 of these computers together and posted them on my website and was very surprised to see the amount of traffic / hits increasing each day to this information.  I suddenly realized that people were linking together to share this information by placing links on their sites.  The problem that has been pointed out so many times is that this is published content but doesn’t have any place on the site to interact, ask questions, leave comments or discussions about the content.  Many people that create the pages lack the skills to create these areas on their sites for interaction.  We were left with printed directions but no guidance if we had difficulties understanding the directions.

WEB 2.0

Then comes MySpace and Facebook along with dozens upon dozens of sites such as these.  Along comes sites that allow you to create mini web sites and blog sites.  Hey, you don’t even have to know how to make a web page!  Just sign up and there you go . . . post your thoughts and it magically turns into a web page.  The tools that have been created and made available in the Web 2.0 world have made it much easier for people to express their thoughts to the world.  There is more interaction and instead of computers interacting to get content to us, it appears more to be a web of people instead of a web of computers as Tim Berners-Lee has stated in his quote.

Because of all of the emerging tools, it is allowing everyone to communicate in one form or another.  Some can blog, some can podcast, some can share through social networking sites such as Facebook and others use other tools to express themselves.  The world is definitely changing and Web 2.0 tools have made a major impact on the way we communicate with each other worldwide.

We should become familiar with these tools and how they are used if we want to stay informed.  The videos in this session demonstrated how knowledge is dramatically increasing and being used in countries around the world.  If we do not embrace these technologies then we could end up a third world country in a short time.

K12 learning 2.0:  Tools for 21st Century Teaching & Learning

THING “One” (Session One)

7½ Habits of Highly Effective Lifelong Learners Video
1.  Begin with end in mind
2.  Accept responsibility for learning
3.  View problems as challenges
4.  Have confidence in yourself
5.  Create your own learning toolbox
6.  Use technology to your advantage
7.  Teach / Mentor others
7½.  PLAY – PLAY – PLAY

Boy, this assignment was quite hazardous for me.  In some way, the headphone cord got tangled around my shoe as I was getting up from my chair, tripping me, which in turn sent me flying like superman into the floor of my computer room.  Thankfully, I suffered no physical injury but wondered if this was the fear that many people have toward using technology.

Well, if this has ever happened to you, brush yourself off, get up and try , try again!!  My goal here is to post an audio comment.  I have accepted my personal responsibility in getting this done because no one can do it for me.  It is an excellent “opportunity for learning.”  I must believe that I can do this task with confidence using the tools necessary to complete this task.  The headphones will not prevail and I will overcome and succeed in getting my audio comment posted.  The key mindset here is to treat this like a game and have fun – just like learning a new game.  When I succeed, then, maybe, I can show my friend how to post their comment and feel exhilarated in actually helping someone in this world of technology!

This is an example of how several of the habits discussed in this video could be implemented in completing a task.  The easiest of these habits for me would include 7½ – PLAY.  Using this approach dramatically reduces stress and helps me focus on the task at hand.  The most challenging and probably the most important of these habits for me would involve teaching or mentoring others.  I am always moving forward and sometimes find it “challenging” to slow down and teach what I have learned to others.  In this area, I need to be a bit more patience with those that I am sharing or teaching in hopes that they will in turn be able to teach others more effectively the things they have learned from me.

These are excellent habits that we all should endeavor to embrace and incorporate in our journey of lifelong learning.  No matter where the winding road leads us with all of the curves and bumps, these tips will serve us well.