etec501- Week 4- Ways I and my Colleagues use Web2.0 & potential for Using Web 2.0 for Online Learning

For this week's activity, we are to provide practical ideas, and  examples of effective Web 2.0 technologies used in our lives or classrooms, along with what I think the "potential" (from "Session 4: Technology Trends for e-Learning (April 26-May 2), p. 1) is for using these technologies (using Web 2.0 tailored design) for learning online.

Before I comment on this though, I want to bring up an issue illustrated on page 111 of our text: "A LOOK AT BEST PRACTICE ISSUES: Wireless Canopies.": (Text, pg. 111).  The issue is free access to the Internet, specifically wireless Internet access.  As the article mentions,the modern day reality that  "Internet access is a necessity, and within a few years will be essential for almost everyone" (text, pg. 111)  As the authors cite, "cities have utilities that offer essential services if those services are not offered economically by the private sector" (text, p. 111).  The solution implied here is that we could enact legislation to transfer Internet access into a Utility service, similar to how telephone "utility" lines operated by AT & T, and in turn for the status of being a "utility service", these businesses are afforded subsidies, tax benefits, investment opportunities, along with regulation and protections provided from becoming a government regulated utility.

Sorry, but why I bring all this up is because, I teach and live in the "Digital Divide" (text, p. 235) called South Eastern Los Angeles, where Internet access is not readily available, and school technology resources are limited, leading to the majority of students being unable to utilize any new technology that is more abundant and readily accessible to other student's in neighbor districts with more access to funds for technology.  I really believe that cities like Los Angeles and any other city that is committed to bettering the education of their citizens, needs to seriously consider to positive potential that wide spread, affordable, access to the Internet could have.  I have a few students who have been issued Laptop computers by the school, and whenever they are given assignments that use online activities, they are eager to participate and complete these online activities.  Whereas, the traditional worksheet activities often go uncompleted, unless I remind them to do them. 

Furthermore, I believe that we need to invest more research and development around learning with the Internet, also because of a Podcast I saw in ETEC 546 that revealed their findings from a high school class in Costa Mesa California (accessible on Edutopia.org) that was offered both traditionally and Online.  The online learners consistently turned in high quality, well developed, creative, work whereas the traditionally taught students performed adequate but not as much of their work was as well developed like the case with the online learners.  Furthermore, they found that the highest quality work was completed between the hours of 10PM - 2AM. I found this finding interesting also because it offers further proof of how one of the benefits of distance learning and e-Learning is the flexibility of access not limited by time or distance as mentioned in chapter one of our text.

Therefore, couple these with the article on page 111, and I feel compelled to mention how I agree with the text that "the image of a city sitting under the canopy of a wireless Internet network is a vision most want to see" ( p. 111) simply because I have seen students who had been written off by other teachers, but when they were introduced to activities and assignments Online, they suddenly became interested in participating,which in turn lead to improvement in learning, evidenced by increased assessment scores.  As a Special Educator, I know that the best way to ensure maximum, high quality, learning, is to use everything available to reach the masses, and the Internet definitely offers the widest array of teaching and learning tools.  For more reasons and benefits along with limitations can be found on pages 234-235 of our text.  Please read it and think about your own classrooms and your own communities, could you benefit from affordable, accessible, Internet to learn, keep in touch with family and friend or make life easier to  manage?

Sorry for getting off the point, now back to it.  Most of the Web 2.0  used in my world is either associated with Facebook, Blackboard, and of course the software programs used at my work site, a virtual work site at that, where we engage in video conferencing, use Skype, webcams, headsets, microphones (internal). In my teaching practice, I have assigned students to view Podcast's that deal with History and language topics.  Furthermore, I have used and viewed, countless PowerPoint presentations both professionally and academically.  Not to mention, I have used a program similar to Voice Thread, with students to create original Rap Songs for an assignment that allowed them to explore their familial cultures and report about it via music and lyrics. 

As for activities unrelated to school, I have used Skype, and even SnapGenie, before to communicate with family, and of course Facebook, is how I talk to my friends mostly, since many of them live far away from me now that I moved back to Southern California.  Oh, I used to own my own Coffee House, and we used our Webcam, along with some software that enabled us to make online advertisements to promote us to local business networks. Not to mention, I've used social networks to buy and sell things, as well as when I was in search of a home, and a car (Craigslist, EBay, CarMax) etc.  In other words, in the 21st Century, it is hard not to use some form of Web 2.0, which is yet another reason I believe we need to have better access to high quality, high speed, affordable, wifi enabled Internet ASAP.

But, to further contribute to this discussion I reviewed the samples of Web 2.0 tools and companies listed in the "Resources/Materials" (Session 4: Technology Trends for e-Learning (April 26- May 2), p. 1) of this week's activity (week 4) and I have come up with some ideas for possible learning activities that can be adapted and further developed more fully according to grade level and ability, but here goes:

The first tool/company listed is Dotsub: http://www.dotsub.com.  This site creates subtitles for text in online videos and films.  Well this could be used to enable your ELL students to view already available instructional videos and films but with appropriate subtitles in their primary language.  This would strengthen the likelihood that the student will fully understand the content thanks to the subtitling capabilities of this technology tool.

Scrapblog (http://scrapblog.com) this is a site that allows its users to put pictures into scrapbooks online.  Now this site could be used by students to create projects about various historical, cultural, or scientific topics.  For instance, if your students are assigned to do a visual historical account of California, they could in effect, locate a variety of pictures of California, and create a photo journal of the state.  Other possibilities is to use this site to help build self-esteem by having the student create a visual self picture of their lives and hopes and dreams which could be cataloged using this technology tool.

SnapGenie (http://snapgenie.com) This technology builds further on the previous technology in that it allows you to "tell stories behind the pictures" (Session 4, p. 1).  For these assignments, the student could do an oral history report, or show the viewer the stages of cell production, or the life cycle of something, not to mention, using this to tell original stories, or re-tell classic stories, using different pictures and different voices.  The potential is endless for new technologies like these and only increase the potential for successful quality learning experiences, since more exposure to greater variety only increases the odds of learning effectively.  and Also one more thing with this site, is that it is more secure than Facebook and MySpace, in that you need a password, etc. so if safety is an issue, this site would help to alleviate this limitation.

VoiceThread (http://voicethread.com) Since most learners are either visual or auditory, this site is good because it allows you to add audio to already existing pictures that are not moving.  I could imagine assigning students an activity where they have to identify something (like a substance or particular tree leaf, or who is who, etc) so they could do so by adding their voice to the picture provided on the site.  Other uses could include, another way of doing a historical or biographical report.  Research could also lend itself to this technology.

Voxopop (http://voxopop.com).  In the research world, this is often utilized by groups in educational settings.  It could also be used by various distance education classes, online k-12 classes could also benefit by being connected to this technology.  It is safer than a free site like Facebook, also because you must become a member, as I remember the one time we used this site in another class.

YackPack (http://yackpack.com) This site I feel is kind of a repeat of other programs we have access to as teachers and students and members of Facebook.  This site allows you to email audio files, which could be useful for projects that require audio as part of the essential learning process.

I guess from all that I have written in this blog, it is obvious that I hold a high regard for the potential of web2.0 technology and Internet access as a whole to enhancing and strengthening not only access to but also in strengthening the quality of learning for all. 

Right now researchers like Zemsky and Massy (2004) agree that we have "hit the trough of disillusionment and started up the slope of enlightenment" (text, p. 257) which means that technologically, our society has realized that technology is often over-rated yet also understand that "once the true understanding of the technology's potential is realized and commercial tools and methodologies are introduced to support the development of the technology" (p. 257), it can only enhance education and commerce.  I really look forward to a continuance along the Gartner Hype Cycle (p. 257) until our society lands on the final 5th cycle known as the "plateau of productivity" (p. 257) when all of the current and future useful web technologies become "mainstream" (p. 257) because this will also hopefully mean that we have bridged the "digital divide" and that all who are interested have access to technology and the Internet so that for sure technologies that are useful can become mainstream and second nature so as to foster high quality learning for anyone who can click!