Chapter 11 begins with frequent use of the term Web 2.0. As the book mentions, it is the tools made available by Web 2.0 that have changed not only education but business and communications in general. Today, individuals have the opportunity to customize a lesson or personalize any inquiry right at their fingertips. With the invention of iPhones and the like, the opportunity use web 2.0 to customize anything of your choosing is right in your pocket.
I had never really considered Facebook as an educational tool. The only applications I was aware of were time passing games or entertaining quizzes. The book mentions an application called “courses” in which students were able to share their notes and start discussions. I think its an interesting idea to use Facebook to like student-to-student and teacher-to student. I’m guilty of checking my Facebook account at least once a day and you know today’s high school students check it nearly once and hour. It’s a great way to communicate quickly and the students can’t claim they didn’t get the message.
In addition to Facebook, teachers can also use blogs, and webcasts to communicate with their students and other teachers. These applications give the users the ability to share information instantly and with any number of people. Imagine the possibilities for educational sharing using the networking of Facebook.
I love the idea of using the Internet to learn a new language. Both of my parents were fluent in French and my grandparents all preferred to speak in French, but some how it was lost in my generation. I hate that! The book mentions Livemocha as a site where you can be tutored free in the language of your choosing. I think this is awesome. What a great tool for foreign language teachers, or for anyone who wants to learn a language but doesn't have access to a classroom. I am definitely going to look into using the site. Hopefully it won’t be long until I can eavesdrop on the “secrets” my mother will only utter in French!!
The book mentions many different tools that are available online for mentoring and tutoring in foreign languages but there are webcasts, podcasts, blogs and video sharing sites that are great for tutoring all subjects, and can meet the individualized needs of students.
Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI too am guilty of checking Facebook daily! It's part of my morning routine' Email, Blackboard, Fantasy Baseball, Facebook!
While you and I both come from the original Facebook College boom, it is quite ridiculous to see how some of the younger student of today are checking it religiously. On top of that, my "smartphone" is a dumb phone as I cancelled internet access due to the steep $30 a month price tag, yet, my students all have internet access mobiley because- Oh wait! THEY ARE STILL MINORS and most of the times their parents are paying the bill for them!! No wonder all of the middle school kids have nicer phones than I do! and again, with the theme of this chapter being "information at your finger tips" this technology enables this sort of social-networking instant addiction...i mean, access...
the video we watched in class last week interviewing high school freshmen pretty much sums up the point. I know they may have been embellishing a little due to being recorded, but really...two of them were texting eachother even though they were sitting in the same room, at the same table?!?!
Facebook would make a great tool in the classroom, but most schools have it blocked. My school district has informed us that it will never be unblocked. I can deal with that. There are a lot of other similar yet safe sites out there for teachers to use. Since the idea is similar to Facebook students should grasp the concepts pretty quickly. Teachers too!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Jacquie. There are plenty of other social networking sites that are safe for educational purposes. I see the "addiction" to Facebook in my students, colleagues and my own children. I would like to see them familiarizing themselves with other options. We also block it in my school.
ReplyDeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job highlighting the key points in Chapter 11. I took a foreign language (Spanish) over 30 years ago and never really mastered it enough to have a conversation. I hope you are more successful in your quest to learn French.
Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the language barrier. Much of my family speaks Italian. A lot of the time I can understand them, but it's hard to figure out what to use as a response. School only offered French and Spanish. I've been using Rosetta Stone, but even so it would be nice to speak to someone who speaks the language. Good luck with your French. Let me know how it goes and where you are finding the time.
Tricia