Blog #2 Learning Web 2.0

Victoria Davis believes that Internet privacy and safety skills should be a part of every classroom because it's essential for succeeding in today's world.  Students need to be aware that all the information on the internet can't be trusted, and people have varying agendas, knowledge, and opinions.  Also, to avoid foolish play, teachers should be using the internet for a reason. 

The cell phone has proven to be an excellent Web 2.0 tool.  This is exciting because teachers don't have to worry about technical problems.  An engaging foreign language activity a teacher might use would be to have the class use their cell phones to conjugate verbs across the room and text one another their answers in a contest.   

An effective Web 2.0 teacher guides his/her students and informs them of new innovations.  

This is a statement shared on Victoria Davis's blog (http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com):

We will educate by any means necessary!  

We will leave behind our preconceived notion!

We will go where our students congregate and interact!

We will do what it takes to reach the most disconnected and connected generation in history.

The ancient act of storytelling  can now be digitalized by simply using Web 2.0 tools.  Narrative stories that contain accounts of one's life, historical stories that examine events from the past, and stories that inform or instruct about a concept are three examples of digital stories.  

Some of the technologies that can be used to create a digital story are Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Photo Story 3, iMovie, a digital camera, a video camcorder, and a scanner.  

Students have the opportunity to publish their stories on the web to share with peers.  Creating stories digitally, students will utilize text, still images, audio, video, and Web publishing. 

Resources:

Robin, B. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling. Retrieved July 30, 2009 from Bernard Robin's Home Page Web site: http://www.coe.uh.edu/~brobin/

Davis, A.V. (2006). The web 2.0 classroom. Retrieved June 10, 2009, from http://k12online.wm.edu/Web20classroom.pdf