Moderns 2.0Web 2.0 Applications in the

Classroom: D.I. for the 21st Century

Christine Cosentino – Program Resource Teacher – Literacy, Grades 7-12

21st Century Learning

DIGITAL-AGE LITERACY

-basic, scientific, economic and technological literacies

-visual and informational literacies

-multicultural literacy and global awareness

INVENTIVE THINKING

-adaptability, managing complexity and self-direction

-curiosity, creativity and risk-taking

-higher-order thinking and

sound reasoning

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

-teaming, collaboration and interpersonal skills

-personal, social and civic responsibility

-interactive communication

HIGH PRODUCTIVITY

-prioritize, plan and manage for results

-effective use of real-world tools

-relevant, high-quality products

What is knowledge?

Traditionally, knowledge is regarded as being content-specific

Paradigm Shift…

• Learning is a collaborative, social endeavour.

This was revolutionary…

• Efficient and uniform dissemination of knowledge

• Fueled scientific, political and social change on a scale unlike any other invention in history

Today’s Revolution…

• Social affiliations and networking

• Being online vs. going online

• The web as an application platform

• Digital self-expression; defining and claiming of one’s voice

• Old knowledge reinvented and made relevant for new viewers and listeners

Specialized Language

What’s the difference?

• Our students are contributing to the collective knowledge of cyber space.

The “Read-Write” Web… Huh?

• Contributing, collaborating, creating

• Internet as a extension of the computer desktop

• Not only a source of reading for research or pleasure

• “Publishing” of creative pieces – written or visual

What is Web 2.0?

Who Said It?

“These (new digital) technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavour to ensure that the benefits they offer are

put at the service of all human individuals and

communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and

vulnerable.”

Are our students using this?

• About 87% of kids (ages 12-17) use the Internet

• 55% of online teens use Social Networking Sites

• 33% of online teens share their own creative content online

• 22% report keeping their own personal webpage

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project - http://www.pewinternet.org/index.asp

Are our students using this?

• 32% say that they have created or worked on webpages or blogs

• 19% of online teens keep a blog

• 38% of online teens read blogs.

• 19% of Internet-using teens say they remix content they find online into their own artistic creations.

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project - http://www.pewinternet.org/index.asp

Putting This into Context: April 2009

OSSLT Survey

• 99% have a computer at home– 45% of time used for homework– 55% of time used for other activities

• 93% of reading time at home allocated to websites, email and chat/text messages

• 95% of writing time at home allocated to writing on websites, email, chat/text messages

Consider this…

• Recent research has revealed that students, in the span of a typical semester, will generate approximately 42 pages worth of work for all classes, whereas they will produce in excess of 500 pages in email and text messages.

The “Net Generation”

• Also known as Millennials– Born between 1982 and the year 2000– Technology means MP3, PDA, phones that do it all– Daily communication involves email, text messaging,

blogs and cell phones– Academically diverse– Consumed by extra-curricular activities; competitive– Thrive in group settings– Tinkerers– Ethnically and racially diverse

Millennials Want to Learn…

• With technology

• With one another

• Online

• In their own time

• In their own place

• Doing things that matter

The benefits:

• Collective intelligence collaboration

• Instant gratification

• Non-hierarchical democratic

• Potential for passion; ownership

• Open to the public real recognition

• Permanence searchable resource

BLOGS

Blogs are powerful communication tools. Blogs are powerful publishing tools.

But blogging (the verb) is still much more than

that to me.

Blogging, as in reading and thinking and then

writing, is connecting and learning.

Will Richardson 2006

Limited Only by Your Imagination

• Teachers– Content-related blog as

professional practice – Networking and personal

knowledge sharing – Instructional tips for

students – Course announcements and

readings – Annotated links

• Students –Reflective or writing journals

–Assignment submission and review

–Dialogue for groupwork

–E-portfolios

–Share course-related resources

Why should students blog?

• Encourages students to write

• Communicate through an exciting medium that engages the learner

• Contribute to collective knowledge

• Construct knowledge

• Use a tool that students

know how to use

SLIDESHARE

• SlideShare is a free service for sharing presentations and slideshows

• Users can upload PowerPoint, OpenOffice, Keynote or PDF presentations, tag them, embed them into blogs or websites, browse others' presentations, and comment on individual slides

• Transcripts of presentations will be indexed by internet search engines and show up in search results

TWITTER

• Class discussions and/or online seminars

• Creation of community in a digital space

• Instant feedback

• A public forum to share thoughts, challenges and ideas

• Building networking skills

TEACHERTUBE

• Works similarly as YouTube

• For educational purposes only

• Generated by teachers and students for teachers and students

DELICIOUS

• A social bookmarking service for storing, sharing and discovering web bookmarks

• All bookmarks are “tagged”• Links for course readings, important

websites• Great tool for students to produce

annotated Works Cited of electronic sources

Ultimately…

• There is no need to be afraid!• An excellent opportunity for teacher-

student collaboration• Let students use tools they are familiar

with to the learn the content• Develop marketable technology skills –

especially for female students• Engage boys through hands-on learning

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Supported by Web 2.0 Applications

Notice anything different about THIS taxonomy?

To think about …

The aim of the Core French program is to provide students with fundamental communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language and its culture. Ministry of Education p.2

What it’s REALLY all about …

It’s not about creating a blog, it’s about expressing your own ideas and beliefs clearly.

It’s not about using Delicious, it’s about developing a system to keep up with your stuff and to share your stuff.

It’s not about Skype, it’s about understanding how to communicate globally in a video setting or via chat/conversation.

And it’s not about making an Animoto slide show, it’s about having a good sense of design or telling a story.

It’s not about learning to use the software, it’s about the skills our students will carry with them that these tools and others like them allow. It’s about our students expressing themselves clearly, beautifully, and skillfully.

And that’s what we should be teaching them.  And that’s what we should be fighting for.

Not So Distant Future (futura.edublogs.org), Carolyn Foote

If you are interested…

• (905) 713-2711, extension 3139• christine.cosentino@ycdsb.ca• www.rethinkingliteracy.blogspot.com

Workshop

• Delicious• Blogger• Slideshare• Glogster

What Web 2.0

Applications Can Do For

You and Your

Students!