April 2008 — News
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Crossroads in Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools
As with any innovation, if such applications become an integral part of curriculum and students have to use them, will the appeal be sustained? Will their motivation to use those tools dwindle when new becomes the norm? The other pedagogical issue regards assessment. If social tools and Web 2.0 truly become integrated into curriculum, to what extent do those tools become part of the assessment process? Do we teach one way (i.e., with tools), then test another (i.e., without those tools)? Of course that issue is not limited to Web 2.0.
Sustaining any innovation relies on all students being able to access technology when and wherever it is needed. The concern is worldwide. Daanen and Facer (2007) raised the issue of the digital divide and what constitutes a fair education, if intelligence is enhanced and developed through tools that can be purchased (p. 8). Digital social collaborations are not possible without those tools. While the one to one computer movement is on the rise in the United States, changes in curriculum and instruction that broaden technology's use to accommodate both personalization and standards may force states or schools to decide whether they should "compensate for inequalities in access to digital technologies outside school or leave individuals to fend for themselves" (p. 30).
Bottom Line
Teachers need motivation to take risks to use social software, Web 2.0, and associated tools and support from administration to take those risks. The issues presented here surrounding creativity and collaboration, changes in attention, learning spaces, and identity development; new knowledge structures, security, teacher support, narrowing options, sustaining innovation, and addressing the digital divide are not all-encompassing but hopefully will serve as a foundation for discussion and decision making.
The crossroad is filled with Web 2.0 tools to consider. If we really want technology to make a difference, as the Metiri Group (2006) stated, we need to do more than introduce "technology with software and web resources aligned with the curriculum. It requires the triangulation of content, sound principles of learning, and high-quality teaching--all of which must be aligned with assessment and accountability" (p. 3).
References Anderson, P. (2007). What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education. Joint Information Systems Committee Technology and Standards Watch. Available: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ Boothby, R. (2006, July 12). Enterprise Web 2.0 technological barriers. Innovation Creators Blog. Available: http://innovationcreators.com/ Bretag, R. (2008, January 19). The missing W. Techlearning Blog. Available: http://www.techlearning.com/ Daanen, H., & Facer, K. (2007). 2020 and beyond: Future scenarios for education in the age of new technologies. Briston, UK: FutureLab. Available: http://www.futurelab.org.uk/ International Society for Technology in Education (2007). National educational technology standards for students: The next generation. Available: http://www.iste.org/ Kelly, B. (2008). Web 2.0: Addressing the barriers to implementation in a library context. Bath, UK: University of Bath, UKOLN. Available: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ Last update February 20, 2008. KnowledgeWorks Foundation (2006). 2006-2016 map of future Metiri Group (2006). Technology in schools: What the research says. Available: http://www.cisco.com/ Nikolov, R. (2007). Towards Web 2.0 schools: Rethinking the teachers professional development. Boston, MA: Paper presented at the Joint IFIP [International Federation for Information Processing] Conference. Available: http://dspace.learningnetworks.org/ Owen, M., Grant, L., Sayers, S., Facer, K. (2006). Social software and learning. Bristol, UK: FutureLab. Available: |
