Is there a tool – a technique – an application that you would recommend to a teacher new to web 2.0 tools? If you were given the opportunity to walk into a school – to teach an entire staff who had never even heard of web 2.0 tools – what would you tell them. If we want teachers to use these tools to connect with parents, where would you start? How would you minimize the learning curve?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
There’s not necessarily one tool I’d recommend. However, I would recommend that people new to Web 2.0 look at this list:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/12/27/the-best-places-to-learn-web-20-basics-2007/
Larry
I think that you need to start with RSS Feeds and a reader like Google reader. Help them populate it with some relevant blogs that cover not only topics of interest to them as teachers but also some that talk about things that interest them outside of school. If you can help them start up their own Personal Learning Network they can go from there. I would love an opportunity to test this theory, but I have yet to be able to talk my daughter’s district into letting me in, I am still trying!
To Larry thank your. What a wonderful blog post to set teachers in the right direction. I think the speed with which you gave me this response speaks to the validity of a personal learning network.
Jay. I hear you. It is really difficult when administrators are reluctant to embrace these tools. I am assuming that you are a parent not a teacher. I believe that parent advocacy for web 2.0 tools will move more and more schools towards meeting the needs of students in the 21st century. Please consider joining the parents as partners Facebook group, if you have not done so already. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13136746541.
The more people we get to talk about these shortfalls the better. Thanks for you comments.
Jay — I am trying to get a similar workshop happening for the parents/teachers in my child’s school — would be a nightmare to get everything unblocked though
May have to go to the public library instead!
Lorna — You can show them the tool but you can’t make the use them. Some will adopt tools if you present some will not. It is like entering a different culture online and you have to be aware that people will go through an adjustment phase. It takes ongoing support and guidance to become “culturally fluent” on the web. Just giving a tour of “bright and shiny” tools will not be very successful.
Think of it as moving to a new place. You need a “welcome wagon” type service to introduce newcomers to others in the community, point out the best places to access services and of course be available for ongoing support to help them find their way.
Web 2.0 isn’t about the tools — it’s about the people!!
Thanks for a great thought-provoking post!
I might be about 3 months late in entering this discussion
, but I just wanted to share the fact that for me, starting up a podcasting blog helped, even though it’s still in its initial stages! The blog address was sent out in the school newsletter to parents. Then, as students keep entering a podcast, I keep sending a note home with them for parents to check it out. Here’s an excerpt directly from a parent’s comment:
\I would like to thank you and also congratulate for taking an effort to create this blog… It is a wonderful idea and can be taken to next level with support from people like you and tech savvy parents.
My daughter goes to this school and she got this URL in the 2009 newsletter.
If there is something that I can do as a volunteer please feel free and reply back. I work for a web solutions company and currently working on several web projects including some school projects…\
There was my Ahaa!
Thanks Nita. Comments are always appreciated. Drop by any time.