Schools still conflicted over Web 2.0 tools
Some districts have strong technology use policies, while others hesitate to implement Web 2.0 tools
From staff and wire reports
Read more by staff and wire services reports
Web 2.0 tools can help students develop critical 21st century skills, many say.
Many school systems have discovered that Web 2.0 tools such as blogging, social networking, and collaborative authoring software can help create participatory learning environments—but the gap between schools that have embraced these tools and those that have not is still large.
A new monograph from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) profiles six school districts—Birdville Independent School District in Texas, New Canaan Public Schools in Connecticut, Michigan’s Westwood Cyber High School, Georgia’s Forsyth County Schools, Barrington 220 in Illinois, and White Oak Independent School District in Texas—and examines how those districts are using Web 2.0 tools to align school policies and practices with global education goals.
“Web 2.0 as a Force for School Transformation: A Tale of Six Districts,” part of the 2010 CoSN Compendium, contains profiles of each district, an overview of some of the Web 2.0 tools that each uses, and a librarian’s perspective on the role that school media centers play in adopting Web 2.0 strategies. The profiles also address filtering policies as they relate to Web 2.0 content.
Web 2.0 tools can transform learning by helping students connect with classrooms across the country or around the globe, CoSN says. They can enhance collaboration, help educators and students discover new research methods, stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving, and link teachers with valuable professional development opportunities. CoSN hopes these six profiles inspire other districts to investigate Web 2.0’s potential as an education technology tool.
“We do have some school districts that are really moving forward and that have managed to dispel some of the fears and the bad information [about Web 2.0 tools],” said James Bosco, principal investigator for the CoSN project. “They’re here to stay. Yes, there are problems, there are issues that come with social networking, but it’s really critical not to have a ‘rule it out’ mentality.”
Bosco said each district included in the monograph demonstrated a commitment to bringing Web 2.0 integration to scale throughout the district and not simply allowing teachers to use Web 2.0 tools, but developing a district culture around them.
The extent to which Web 2.0 tools can affect district and classroom practice depends on how district leaders implement the tools, Bosco said.
“That’s probably the toughest issue, because it’s one thing to say, ‘We’ll use Web 2.0 and new digital media so long as it conforms to what we have been doing in the past,’” he said. “It’s another thing to recognize that the real message is that we have to think differently about learning, and about the roles of teachers and students—that’s the big challenge.”
Developing a mindset in which teachers are willing to cede some control and let students explore their own learning is essential if Web 2.0 tools are to make a difference in the classroom, he explained.
The six districts represent the changing face of education, Bosco said, which gradually is starting to position students more successfully for life in a global workforce.
“Five years from now, there will still be districts looking like they’re in the 1950s,” he said. “It won’t be a smooth progression, but I really do believe we’re seeing something start here, and that gives cause for optimism. At least in some places, kids will be receiving the kind of education and schooling they really need—and that is in tune with the world in which they live.”
New research released Sept. 9 suggests that the six districts profiled in the CoSN monograph are part of what is still a small minority in U.S. education.
The survey, which took an extended look at school principals’ use of social networking, found the majority of responding principals said they believe social networking sites can provide value in education. But, despite what they viewed as the promise of social networking, most of the principals reported that students aren’t allowed to access social networks at school—although respondents acknowledged that students can bypass these restrictions with their mobile phones.
rickrbc
September 29, 2010 at 12:43 pm
A very informative article. The content caught my eye because I work for a company called Novachi which uses a web-based 2.0 tool for education. I believe connecting the learning community together is a way to deepen learning and help with homework.
rickrbc
September 29, 2010 at 12:43 pm
A very informative article. The content caught my eye because I work for a company called Novachi which uses a web-based 2.0 tool for education. I believe connecting the learning community together is a way to deepen learning and help with homework.
pikifriends
September 30, 2010 at 5:53 am
Most 2.0 tools aren’t appropriate for K-12 for 2 reasons: they aren’t safe, and/or they’re too complicated for the average teacher to manage. But for many reasons, as this article states, we need to incorporate it somehow into schools.
I hope educators have a chance to look at PikiFriends, it is really helping many schools.
Here’s what the assistant headmaster of a school recently told me:
“Our challenge is incorporating the Social Networking into the curriculum. For us, PikiFriends presents the opportunity to accomplish two primary goals:
1. Connect our students with kids from other parts of this big blue planet
2. Use PikiFriends as a medium to help kids understand the positive aspects of Social Networks as well as the issues of private/public nature of Social Networking sites. As a school we block other sites such as facebook and myspace on our network, but we realize that kids are actively using these things outside of school; unfortunately, many don’t grasp the idea that it is often a more public forum than they intend.”
pikifriends
September 30, 2010 at 5:53 am
Most 2.0 tools aren’t appropriate for K-12 for 2 reasons: they aren’t safe, and/or they’re too complicated for the average teacher to manage. But for many reasons, as this article states, we need to incorporate it somehow into schools.
I hope educators have a chance to look at PikiFriends, it is really helping many schools.
Here’s what the assistant headmaster of a school recently told me:
“Our challenge is incorporating the Social Networking into the curriculum. For us, PikiFriends presents the opportunity to accomplish two primary goals:
1. Connect our students with kids from other parts of this big blue planet
2. Use PikiFriends as a medium to help kids understand the positive aspects of Social Networks as well as the issues of private/public nature of Social Networking sites. As a school we block other sites such as facebook and myspace on our network, but we realize that kids are actively using these things outside of school; unfortunately, many don’t grasp the idea that it is often a more public forum than they intend.”