Recently, several instructors at Lincoln College of Technology, Nashville Auto Diesel College (LCT/NADC) discussed the merits of using the Web 2.0 in the classroom environment.  This debate concerned the incorporation of Web 2.0 technologies into the classroom environment was sparked by the realization that.  “Our students’ realities in terms of the way they communicate and learn are very different from our own. By and large, they are “out there” using a wide variety of technologies that they are told they can't use when they come to school” (Richardson, 2010 p. 6).  To facilitate this discussion an examination of the technologies used in the Web 2.0 may prove helpful in determining the Collaboration, Ethical and Safety Considerations as well as critical thinking value of these technologies.

 Whether we as educator are ready or not the classroom walls have expanded.  As seen above students today are comfortable accessing information via the Web, further student prefer to access information in this way.  According to the National educational technology plan, (2005) “They prefer to access subject information on the Internet, where it is more abundant, more accessible, and more up-to-date” (as cited by Richardson, 2010 p.7).  There is little doubt that today's students enter classrooms expecting material with the same degree of collaboration/ interaction as they have outside of the classroom.  Weblogs and Wikis offer educators a means of expanding our classrooms to a collaborative, participatory learning environment.

Learning is a social construct and the Web 2.0 is changing the quote by the famous French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes "I think, therefore I am", too that of "We think, therefore we are".  Instructors at LCT/NADC have begun to notice that linear progression teaching model is no longer effective and that to engage our students a collaborative interactive modal must replace it.  Rheingold, (2007, p. 2) is cited as stating “The kind of questioning, collaborative, active, lateral rather than hierarchical pedagogy” (Richardson, 2010 p. 8) this is the model LTC/NADC should explore.

Blogs and Wikis

What is a blog or a wiki and what the difference between them may be, is the first question many educators many need answered.  Weblogs or blogs are an easy tool in which users create personal journals, build resource sites or transmit the news of the day on the Web 2.0. “Blogs, as they are known, are easily created, easily updateable Web sites that allow an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection.  They can also be interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add to the information published there”. (Richardson, 2010 p.10).  A wiki on the other hand is a collaborative tool, in which anyone with access can add content or in some cases edit content that has already been published by another user. These represent the two most common uses of the Web 2.0 in an educational since.

Ethical and Safety Considerations

All technology introduced to the classroom come with some ethical and safety considerations educators must consider.  At LCT/NADC developing web-based learning opportunities is no exception.  These consideration are different than those faced by K12 teachers, but no less real.  Navigating the darker side of the web can be perilous for those unprepared, and instructor should be prepared to assist students navigate/avoid these darker aspects of the web.

  “From a student standpoint, teachers have to be ready to discuss what should and should not be published online…In addition, students need to know that any content they create online will become a part of their Web portfolio. They need to ask themselves, ‘What if someone finds this piece five or ten years from now?’” (Richardson, 2010 pp. 13-14).  

Obviously, younger students should never reveal information about where they live, where they work, and anything else that might identify them to potential predators.  However, older students, such as those at LCT/NADC may need to identify themselves to receive credit for the work they produce, post educationally.   While many students use these sites and included their full names, addresses, or even provocative pictures of themselves, these behaviors may lead to an adverse effect on their Web portfolio. Ribble (2013) states “Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use”. The use of a Blog seems to be the perfect vehicle to present Ethical Practices for Digital Citizenship.

As a trade school the language arts admittedly take a back seat to the more industrial arts, however blogging by its nature would improve secondary learning. Also, the act of blogging facilitates connections between instructor and student that some students may not feel comfortable achieving in the classroom.  Educators are using blogs in all areas of the curriculum to collaborate with subject-specific experts, to archive learning, to share results of experiments, and to publish student work.  “Blogging across the curriculum offers students and teachers not only the ability to infuse writing into all disciplines, it facilitates connections in ways that plain paper cannot” (Richardson, 2010 p. 33).  One of the primary goals of instructors at LCT/NADC is to break down barriers toward learning and blogging may be the prefect tool for the job.

Reference

Lever-Duffy, (2011). Teaching and Learning with Technology, 4th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions. ISBN-13:978-0-13-800796-6 VitalBook file.

Ribble, M. (2013). Digital awareness: Using technology appropriately. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.