WEB 2.0: TAKING EDUCATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL

The world wide web has affected absolutely everything. It has affected our businesses, our various forms of media, the way we socialize and communicate and it has also begun to affect our education. However, I feel that the web has not had as big of an impact as it should have on our schools and the way we educate our students. So today I will be exploring the following question: In a Web 2.0 world, what should education be like?

First off, I feel that the most important and obvious impact that the web should have on our education is in the astronomical amount of information that it offers. Whether it be online encyclopedias, fun educational sites or podcasts of ivy league university lectures, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips just waiting to be grabbed. However, instead of extending our hand and taking all of these resources, most teachers cower away and stick to our old ways. It truly is a shame because the web has the ability to totally revolutionize the way we learn. Why stick to old, boring, outdated textbooks when credible sites such as Wikipedia offer over 2000 articles in all different languages and is updated several times a day? The information available to us is virtually unlimited, now it is time for us to start taking advantage of it. 

Another huge impact that the web should have on our education is collaborative learning. As explained in the video we saw of Kevin Kelley we are now entering the third stage of the Internet: linking data. Tools such as Google Docs, Google Video, Wikis and so much more allow us to share and communicate in a way that was never before possible. Communication between students and teachers and students amongst themselves has been totally revolutionized. Although some teachers have already begun to take advantage of these tools, I feel that they have yet to implement them to their full capability. These tools offer an opportunity for students and teachers from different schools, different neighborhoods and even different countries to all learn together. Whether it be collaborating on a project or practicing a second language, Web 2.0 has the ability to bring culture, excitement and adventure into a classroom.

In conclusion, in a Web 2.0 world, education should be an adventure. History class should be a virtual tour of New France, French class should be a video chat with a student from Paris and English class should have a new guest speaker everyday. Web 2.0 should allow us to escape the four walls of our classrooms and learn in a way that is fun and exciting. We have all the tools. We have all the resources. Now it’s up to us to utilize them and take education to the next level. 

Web 2.0 in Education: