Final Exam Part 3

I would like a blogpost or an e-mail discussing your feelings on web 2.0 and the connections you see for education. You can speak from a supportive point of view, a
negative point of view, or a balanced point of view. You can choose to answer the
following questions in your response or not. They are food for thought in case you need it
to get started. Do you think web 2.0 tools can help teachers better engage students in
their learning? What specific tools would you use? What questions, thoughts, concerns,
or insights did you make from your experience this semester? (This should be 3-5
paragraphs minimum)

Web 2.0 is a class that is focused on getting students more active in their classes. This is done by using various programs online. During this semester, our web 2.0 class has experimented a lot with Google docs, twitter, Facebook, and other mini websites. Wallwisher was one of the first tools we have used in this class. We stay connected through Gmail and we post our recent works on twitter. This class was definitely great. It was a little foreshadowing of what is coming next year and I have to say, the students have a lot to look forward to.

These tools that we have experimented with in our class are more than just ways to post thoughts. With a little creativity, these online tools can be used to complete various projects. For my world history class, we made twitter accounts with the names of historical figures and then we had a little class conversation from the point of view of different characters. These programs are limited in what they can do, but we can manipulate them and use them for a completely different reason. I think Wallwisher could be more than a place to post thoughts. I think it could be used for the teacher to post assignments and also a place for class questions. Everything we have used so far can be used for so much more and classes can be better for learning if there is an aspect of fun added from using technology.

Overall, I think the change to 1:1 next year will be a great step into the future. Technology is evolving everyday and we could really use it to make class more fun. It will be great for group interaction because this is a way that even the shy students can contribute their thoughts. The countless programs, apps, widgets, websites, and other things we can use will really make class easier and an overall greater learning experience. I am for this change and the only problems I can see are the wifi running a little slow from everyone being connected at the same time and students playing games more than working. In conclusion, this is definitely something for the students to look forward to.