Web 2.0 and the Future of Education
Blogical Discussion Week 5 - BOCE
Steve Hargadon’s post Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education is a “flat book” (I’m not certain Tom Friedman would approve of that term J) analysis of technological convergence for education. Hargadon’s post, by his own admission, is a “remixing” of the ideas of John Seely Brown and an article he wrote for Educause Magazine, called “Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0″ The post is a mixture of Brown and Hargadon’s thoughts.
Hargadon identifies ten trends he views to be of particular importance in education and learning. I will list and briefly summarize them:
- 1. A New Publishing Revolution - People, not experts, are creating the new content of the web. Blogs, wikis, podcasting, video/photo-sharing, social networking are changing how and why content is created.
- 2. A Tidal Wave of Information - Fewer than 1% of wikipedia users actually contribute to it. Imagine if 10% or 20% contribute? We must figure out what information to give our time and attention to when we are engulfed by it.
- 3. Everything is Becoming Participative - Amazon’s customer use of feedback empowers and connects readers and the Kindle may ROCK the reading world.
- 4. The New Pro-sumers. The word “pro-sumer” is a combination of the words “producer” and “consumer”.
- 5. The Age of the Collaborator - The era of trusted authority is giving away to an era of transparent and collaborative scholarship
- 6. An Explosion of Innovation - The combination of increased ability to work on specialized topics from around the globe and the diversity of collaborators because of the web, should lead to an incredible amount of innovation.
- 7. The World Gets Even Flatter and Faster - Even if that world is spiky or wrinkled, its still getting pretty darn flat.
- 8. Social Learning Moves Toward Center Stage - Learning will depend on the ability of individuals to connect to social groups, because more learning happens in the study group than in the lecture hall.
- 9. The Long Trail - Technology of the web will make “differentiated instruction” a reality that both parents and students will demand.
- 10. Social Networking Really (Opens Up the Party) - If MySpace were a country, it would be the third most populous in the world. Social networking has tremendous potential for education.
I found the Hargadon post to be fascinating. He even goes on to give advice for educators who want to incorporate Web 2.0.
Prompting further thought was a comment on the post by James O’Hagan. O’Hagan sees obstacles to Hargadon’s going-to-change-the-world post. O’Hagan’s response reflected a “Yeah, but….” outlining the reluctance of institutional education to change. For O’Hagan, this change isn’t coming any time soon.
ISSUE: As we are in the process of learning the tools of Web 2.0, you can think of this in terms of your own practice: What are the obstacles you foresee in implementing these tools in your classroom? Does your work environment support change? How can you overcome these obstacles? You may choose to generalize your thoughts: What are the obstacles to innovation in institutional education? Will there be a change in education as a result of Web 2.0? Will it be an evolution or a revolution?
Hi Jim,
This is fascinating and I had SO many thoughts come to me as I read both Hargadon’s and your posts. I’m hoping all of the changes will be an evolution really. Here’s what struck me as very true: The fact that our world is getting flatter and faster means that we may just be able to really know other cultures, countries, and people better. We can get at their hearts and minds and really have a better chance at Peace! The more I know about another, the better!! Another thing that really struck me is that with this “explosion” and all the opportunities for our students we might really get to see education become equitable! How I wish for the students I worked with in a high poverty, low achieving area to have what the students just down the street have! I love that Hargadon wrote that it is truly an era for innovation and creativity. All of his trends are wonderful things to think about and “get into” if we are going to continue to teach. Thanks for the blog to read and your thoughts! We can truly more fully develop those children now, right!? Cool!
Sue
Great discussion topic, Jim. Unfortunately, I think we will have a slow evolution in education for the most part. Of course there will be pockets of educators that will possess the knowledge and resources to use whatever the latest revolution is, but there are still so many schools that do not have adequate computers or internet access. Money and focus on test scores are big obstacles to progress. Many schools are struggling to maintain a safe environment that technology may not be a priority. To overcome this, we need to advocate the benefits of technology to those in charge. We need to continue to show technology can help motivate and challenge students to get the desired results.
I am sorry to be a downer, and I wish it were different, but I think my ideals do not always match the reality of what many schools face.
I appreciate the questions posted here to challenge us to think about the broader, philosophical ideas within the content of our own classrooms. For me I am encouraged to embrace the changes offered by this new wave of learning (and I find some of the terms used in the list above very interesting). But, and this is the long, sorrow filled “but”, while I am encouraged to take these risks and try innovations in my classes to support student learning, the infrastructure to support this is seriously lacking. Just the computer hardware, connectivity, and instructor tools are not fully supported. So while I learn the tools of the trade for the new learning, I am faced with the reality that my efforts are supported philosophically but not in a material sense.
I need to take a look at my practice and the experiences that I want to bring to my students and try to see ways to make this a reality. Thanks for giving me a chance for some introspection. This has prompted me to apply for an Instructional Improvement grant that my campus offers every year – now I have to decide what to ask for in the grant.
Thanks for the sites. I will pass the Gilder-Lehrman Institute information to our history faculty. Isn’t Eric Langhorst amazing? I looked at Guerilla Season for our blog assignment. His students are so lucky to be part of his energetic classrooms. I wonder if our junior high and high school students in my local community are aware of podcasts and of this remarkable teacher who sets the bar quite high. If only I had those resources and podcasting tools when I was learning history. I should just return to school. :>)