Thing #5

Some Perspectives on Web 2.0/School 2.0 and the Future of Education



There is a growing desire to rethink education and learning, and the phrase "School 2.0" is being used to describe the new direction many think education should take. There seem to be three factors driving this discussion:
  1. New collaborative computer technologies, in particular the read/write web or Web 2.0, distance learning programs, free and open source software, and videoconferencing.
  2. The move from an industrial to information economy, and a change in skills that are valuable to employers.
  3. A culture that is rapidly becoming more transparent and collaborative because of the new technologies, allowing a more open discussion about many aspects of our society, including (and especially) education.
School 2.0 is term used to describe a new vision for education in the 21st century. The name, as you may guess, is an extension of Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts. In School 2.0, learning doesn't just take place in the school, but in a combination of home, school, and community that collaborates to bring the wider world into day-to-day instruction and provide a rich array of learning opportunities. In School 2.0, there is no one path to achieve learning.

Discovery Resources:
General Web 2.0 information
The Machine is Us/ing Us video - Web 2.0 in five minutes by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Kansas State University
(scroll to the the bottom of this post to watch the embedded version)
Wikipedia - Web 2.0
What is Web 2.0? 

Perspectives for teachers
50 Web 2.0 Tools Every Teacher Should Know About
Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education
The Horizons Report - 2012 Applications of emerging technologies to teaching, learning, and creative expression.
Teachers 2.0

Discovery Exercise 
Web 2.0 and School 2.0 - these phrases mean many things to many people.
1. Read the different perspectives in the list above.
2. Create a blog post on your reactions and thoughts regarding the articles you chose. In your post, make sure you include the answers to these questions:
  • What does "School 2.0" mean to you?
  • What does it mean for schools of the future?



Posted by at