Thing #5 Web 2.0 and School 2.0

School 2.0 means to me a new type of learning that goes beyond the traditional form of teaching, involving a teacher lecturing and students taking notes using pencil a paper. Instead imagine a spanish classroom where students all have iPads that they take notes on and post questions to each other throughout the lesson in a specialized chat room created for their class. And then perhaps in the place of a teacher lecturing there is smart board with a live video of a teacher instructing the class, not from her home a few blocks away, but from Spain!  And then instead of the traditional method involving students looking at pictures in their book to get an idea of the country's culture the teacher simply takes the camera outside and shows them Spain in real time.

This is just one example of how I envision the future but if I had to sum it up I think school 2.0 is something that incorporates the use of technology in virtually every aspect of learning in an effort to get everyone involved. Some students are shy, I know I was in grade school, and would have very much liked to ask questions during class time but was too embarrassed to do so.   Being able to comment on things and ask questions virtually is something that I wish was around when I was in K-12.

Steve Hargadons article was one that made me realize things that I had overlooked more deeply. For example I too, like Steve, base my purchases on the reviews of others.  For example I look to see if others have described an article of clothing as fitting small or made out of poor quality.

I never thought about regular shopping sites such as Amazon and Zappos as part of the Web 2.0 community but they definitely are not just static sites. In fact when I really think about it, I am hard pressed to think of a site that isn't interactive in at least one way...

I agree with Steve and think that electronic textbooks are quickly taking over the world but have yet to consider all the possibilities digital reading has to offer that he did.   I abosultuely love the idea of being able to read a book on a kindle or iPad and be able to comment on a sentence or single word in the text!

I am excited about the whole idea of incorporating more technology in the classroom but was shocked to read in the NMC Horizon report that schools are considering changing their no cell phone policies.  I think the idea of letting students use their smartphones in class is a recipe for disaster.