Liz Dalton
Full Sail University
I am certainly a "Newby" when it comes to Web 2.0. I feel like my head is swimming with all the Web 2.0 tools that I have been learning about. I get excited about a new one and start to think how I could use it in my classroom or with other teachers, then I am on to learn a new one. I certainly hope that I can remember them all when this is all said and done. However, I know where to find the tools and relearn them. There are so many tutorials and helps on the web that it is amazing. I can't believe the willingness of others to create and share so we can all enjoy the new technology. It makes me want to reciprocate when I feel comfortable with the use of Web 2.o tools myself. One example of this sharing is wikipedia. I thought it was fascinating reading how wikipedia was started and evolved into what it is today. In 1995 Ward Cunningham, a software engineer, wanted a way for the software community to create a repository of shared design wisdom (Shirky 2008). Mr. Cunningham believed in the saying two heads are better than one, that by collaborating many people could perfect a definition. I love how wikipedia has found a way to combat vandalism and sabotage. I think it is amazing that there are people so pasionate about wikipedia to watch and take care of the vandalism. I have been taught that wikipedia is not a reliable source for research and it totally made sense to me but now I have a different opinion. I think with all the collaboration and watchful eyes that wikipedia is actually a great source.
I have started implementing some We 2.0 tools and have been really excited about it, then it all came crashing down. I opened up a brand new high school this year. I am the new teacher mentor and so I thought it would be a great idea if we had a group facebook account to collaborate. It was great for getting information to the new teachers as well as answering their questions. I also started a google doc and invited the other Family and Consumer Science teacher so we could keep a collaborative list of items we needed at the store. We would take turns going to the store once per week. The google doc also worked great until the district computer technicians put up the blocks. I can't get google or facebook now. It has been very frustration. I have tried to talk to the technician, who is assigned to our school, about this and she is so bombarded right now because everything has not been installed yet that she won't talk to me about it right now. I am learning that when you open a new school it takes much patience.
I have been following Web 2.0 on twitter and have gotten really excited about some new tools that I have researched. Two of them I found on a website called From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones In Learning. One comes from an article named Your DailyBooth: Photo Tweeting for Classroom Learning. DailyBooth is a "twitter" environment for photos. You create an account and then get a mobile email address where you can send picture from any cell phone. The picture appears just like twitter posts (Kolb nd). I think it would be fun to assign students to create a digital storybook this way such as demonstrating proper dishwashing steps or how to thread a sewing machine. Even if my school blocked DailyBooth, I could look at it at home to grade. I also thought it would be great to get students' feedback from a cooking lab, child care activity, or sewing project having students tweet their feedback. This idea also came from, From Toy to Tool: Cell Phone In Learning website (Kolb nd). I also am the assistant swim coach at my school and I have started a website for the swim team. I also want to start a Stansbury Stallion Swim Club twitter account to give reminders, info, and quick change information such as a venue change or attire information. I also will include a blog on the website for feedback and suggestions. Of course personal cell phones and computers would be the only method to access this information at this time, but I am going to work on changing that.
Soloman and Schrum (2007) state that a 2006 American Digital Schools survey found that where result were tracked, 87% of schools offering one-to-one computing reported substantial academic improvement, improved writing skills, improved attendance and fewer discipline problems. I hope that I can be instrumental in my school district for more use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
References
Kolb L. (nd) Teachers Use Cell Phones to Tweet at Movies, From Toy to Tool:Cell Phone
In Learning. Retrieved September 7, 2009 from http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/.
Kolb L. (nd). Your DailyBooth: Photo Tweeting for Classroom Learning, From Toy to Tool:Cell Phone In Learning. Retrieved September 7, 2009 from http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/.
Shirky C. (2008) Here Comes Everybody, The Penguin Press.
Solomon G., Schrum L. (2007). Web 2.0 Tools, New Schools, International Society for
Technology In Education.
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