Thing # 2: Why In the World Web

Michael Wesch is a remarkable young man who is either wise beyond his years or was put upon this planet to be an educator. I see so many teachers each and every day who do not see the value of technology in education or are so frustrated and fearful of technology that they refuse to incorporate it into their classrooms. In only four years of teaching, this professor has discovered / come to realize that one of the greatest way to engage today’s students is through technology. Great points Mr. Wesch made include but are not limited to the following:

“…teach students how to ask discussion questions.”
“The crisis of significance:” students must find relevance and value in what they learn.
“Find a way to harness information, critique it, and create it into something new.”
“This is the worst thing we can do to the students.” accompanied an image of a student holding up a bubble sheet indicating standardize testing.
…”platforms for participation, not just entertainment but tools to learn, collaborate, and create something.” (Wesch, 2008)

Today’s educators are the luckiest in the world because we have a plethora of technology that we can utilize and bring into our classrooms in order to help students understand, become involved in their own learning. Our district is on the cusp of understanding this by encouraging our teachers to become more familiar with the technological tools that are already among us. This project and my graduate work one more push for me to move toward integrating technology full time in the classroom in order to allow the students to learn at their own pace and with their own learning style. Many teachers think that this method of teaching is difficult, but I believe it is more the lack of time in implementation than it is difficult.

For many years students have not known how to ask questions of themselves, others, or even formulate questions to ask to adequately research a topic. However, using technology tools that they are familiar with in this connected age will only increase those thinking skills that have increasingly become lacking in students.

Standardized testing HAS become over-rated in many states and school districts. I have found though that when I use technology in my classroom, the students become more responsible for their learning which in turn makes them personally care more about those tests and their score as well as their over all education. When the students feel that they have some control over what and how they learn, it’s amazing what they can and WANT TO do to be successful.

Engagement is the doorway to students’ minds making what we have to share relevant to their lives. Web 2.0 tools to me are the key we can use to open that door leading to participation, learning, creativity, critical thinking, differentiating learning styles, cooperative learning, and ultimately a love of learning resulting in a successful student, adult, co-worker, and citizen.

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