One of the most important features of Web 2.0 media and its respective technologies are its accessibility. Tools that were once rare or non existent in our day have become an everyday implement in the lives of young people everywhere. Today, anyone anywhere there is internet access can use Web 2.0 technologies in order to not only entertain, but collaborate, share and immerse.
Educators everywhere need to see the need to use the technologies of today to assist students to at the very least practice becoming comfortable with using the technology to learn and advance themselves educationally instead of inadvertently teaching them to “power down” when they come to class. (Posted on Youtube: Pay Attention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M_336pDWoM Retrieved September 9, 2009)
This is further evidenced by one of the children addressing educators in the No Future Left Behind video (posted on Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kra_z9vMnHo Ret who stated that “I can’t create my future with the tools of your past.”
Perhaps what is driving many to not want to embrace change or even to
entertain the possibility of using technology for education in unconventional ways is a fear of rocking the boat, and an archaic perception of what is appropriate. Indeed it is true that “If you’re not prepared to be wrong you’ll never come up with anything original.”
( Sir. Ken Robinson from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html)
In a video I saw on Myspace 2 days ago, again, there was this apprehension in making advancements to reform health and physical fitness due to what administrators were expected to do by their superiors who carry out mandated laws. In the video, Shaquille O’Neil was trying to make big changes in one school district’s handling of the Physical education The video series can be found here:
http://fr.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=61894748
(Retrieved September 8, 2009) In addition, a related article may be referenced here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-06-24-shaqs-big-challenge25_n.htm
(Retrieved September 10, 2009)
To sum up what I’ve gathered, it strikes me as being very important to use present technologies to not only facilitate accessible learning for all learners, but to also embrace it, in order to drive progressive development in future technologies. These future technologies will also reshape the way that education is delivered to future learners in much the same way that Web 2.0 has changed our present day thinking and educational delivery. It is exciting to think about what the future holds in terms of a transition from Web 2.0 to progressive upgrades in the landscape of the internet. In ushering in these upgrades, we need to not curse the technologies themselves as being “inappropriate”. Technologies are only as meaningful as the people that use them. Therefore, because students are already using technologies every single day, we need to think of creative ways in which the technology can be used to carry out more noble endeavors. This reminds me of the piano. Initially the when pianos were brought into churches, they were looked down upon because of their assocation with the saloon. There were those who fought tooth and nail to keep them out of the church. In time, people began to realize that the piano in and of itself was not “evil” or immoral.
The piano under the skillful hands of certain people could lead worshippers in a meaningful experience that was relevant to Christianity.
Likewise, I concur with the sentiment that the Pay Attention video brought out concerning cell phones. These indeed are powerful computers. However, unfortunately, the ban of cell phone use in the classroom is focused mainly on the speaking or other forms of non-school related communication that may occur and cause distractions from curriculum. However, this is being biased and disregarding the other features that a cell phone has and also the INTENT of the cell phone’s use.
The cell phone, can be used as a powerful tool that engages, and brings relevance to the whatever, whenever, wherever aspect of the new face of the web and collaborative learning.
With all these changes and advancements, I wonder…Will there even be an internet in the future? Will it even be called that? Will we be so interconnected, that the very word internet would perhaps be referred to as a mesh or a fabric or perhaps even a quilt? Will we be so glued, or stitched together in terms of collaborative and sharing that the spherical shape of the internet will truly become flat?
Until we get educators to:
-embrace change
-Train them in the use of the technologies
-Offer a support group of innovation for these teachers
We may never become even remotely prepared to answer these questions.
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