Education Unplugged...

I have been thinking lately about my teaching practice and the steps I need to do to become a better educator? In this process I thought it would be useful to question the use of the web 2.0 as an indispensable instructional resource. Specifically, what purpose is the web 2.0 serving in my lessons?

I believe that, at times, my use of web tools to enhance the educational experiences of my students has merely covered up poor instruction. Although a cool looking website with a wiki or blog may appease parents, schools, and motivate students - what is the purpose of its use? If I am to grow as an educator, I need to question the process of my teaching, the learning activities I chart for my students; I must have a clear pedagogy and approach that is founded on something other than the "oh that is cool" factor. Computers and technology do not teach... they are just instructional tools for use by the teacher.

So what am I saying? I believe that the first step to becoming a good teacher is to enter the instructional design process unplugged; no phones, pda's, laptops, projectors, etc... If it needs to be powered, do not use it! Ironically, Knowing how to teach and motivate in an "unplugged" learning environment may provide me with a better understanding of how to better integrate technology.

A Google search for the "The Greatest Educators Ever" resulted in a book by Frank Flanagan. He lists 18 educators spanning history as we know it; none of them used the web 2.0.

I contributed!

I have been reflecting recently on my lack of contribution to the web 2.o. Well, this weekend I stayed at the Double Tree Hotel in Rochester, NY - and guess what? I posted a review of my stay on the hotels.com website! I know this is really not a big deal, but it is a first step toward contributing.

Hotels.com screens all reviews before posting them, so for now there is no link...

Response Blog #1

Mastering a field of knowledge involves not only learning about the subject matter but also learning to be a full participant in the field." - Brown & Adler

I'm not a fan of beginning a reflection with a quote but here goes...

Yesterday I learned how to build a platform bed that will turn the trunk of my 4runner into an alternative to a tent for camping. The specifications and instructions are available here if you are interested. What I also learned from this link is that consumers of the web 2.0 have a responsibility. If I build this platform, I should go back to the forum and post something about my experience that may help the next person. The social construction of knowledge requires users like you and me. For way too long I have been stuck in the mindset of 1.0, well more like 1.5. I lurk over others contributions. I count on forums for product reviews, open source software for functionality, and user ratings for my foreign movie selection in Netflix. I have been reading and taking but never writing and contributing. As consumers of the web, are we reaching a point where it is our "civic duty" to ensure that we contribute something?

There is probably a lesson waiting to be extrapolated from my ramblings here, I think the title is "Good citizenship in the Web 2.0". The lesson will give students the opportunity to think about what it means to be a good citizen when participating in the social web.