What It All Means . . . that's the title of the last chapter in the book by Will Richardson entitled Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I thank Mr. Richardson for a very insightful book with lots and lots of solid information about the use of technology in the classroom. I've learned a lot and hope that many of you readers have done the same over the past months.
Richardson states that pages and pages are being added every day to the Internet, which includes new sites and also items like books. Add to it all the music and streaming videos and it's almost more than we can comprehend. Plus, the Web is becoming more collaborative.
Here are some "big shifts" to consider . . .
1. It used to be schools and teachers 'owned' the content they taught and used in their classrooms; today, information is as far away as a Google search or Wikipedia; teachers and students have begun writing their own content
2. As our access to content increases, so does our access to other teachers - those outside our buildings; teachers and students can tap into primary sources and connect with authors and historians and researchers across the world; learning has become 24/7
3. In the past, students have worked independently or produced work for a limited audience (perhaps the teacher who graded their work and their classmates); students can now work in collaborative ways for large audiences; the work can now have real purpose and real meaning
4. Students are learning their voices matter now that they can publish content to a wide audience; people do listen/read and respond
5. It's no longer essential to know what the answer is as it is to know where to find it; today, factual answers are just a click away; we just need to know where to find sources that are worthy of our attention
6. The Web is a printing press for the masses, so readers must learn to be critical consumers of the information; readers must also become good writers as they engage in debate and discussion across the Web
7. Educators are now seeing the value of electronic learner portfolios that can be easily shared
8. Writing is no longer limited to text; we can now include audio, video, photography, and much more
9. Mastery used to be shown by 'passing the test'; now students can display mastery in countless ways that involve the creation of digital content
10. Instead of simply handing in countless assignments to teachers to be read, graded, handed back, and most likely thrown away, we can now offer our students a totally new way at looking at the work they do; it's not meant for the teacher or the class or even the school, it's meant for the world, literally
Obviously these changes create all sorts of challenges for educators. According to Richardson, teachers must start to see themselves as connectors, not only of content, but of people. Teachers must become content creators as well. Teachers also need to become true collaborators. And teachers need to think of themselves more as coaches who model skills that students need to be successful. Finally, teachers must be change agents. We need to find ways to use these tools in the classroom and beyond.
When our students leave high school, Richardson says odds are pretty good they will be asked to work with others from around the globe, utilizing the Internet in some way to create content for diverse and wide-ranging audiences. Due to that fact, students need to know how to be editors as well as readers. We must teach our students to become more active consumers of the information instead of just passively accepting it as legitimate. We must teach and model the ways in which ideas and products can be brought online. We need to teach the ability to work closely with others in virtual environments. And we need to teach students how to manage the information they consume. These are all skills that will support students who can flourish in the networked personal learning spaces they will inhabit the rest of their lives. Richardson states if we graduate students who are not able to create, sustain and participate in these networks in safe, ethical, and effective ways, we've done them a disservice.
Again, thanks to Will Richardson and his wonderful book! I truly hope you have found something within these Blog pages that has helped you in some way with your students and with your classroom. I also hope you may have found something you could use in your own life at home. I know I did! Have a wonderful week . . .
