Okay, kiddies. In this post, we're not going to discuss a conventional tool, now, you hear? (Not that the tools we've discussed so far have been conventional, either. This one is just even more unconventional than usual, in my opinion.) Today, we are going to discuss a conceptual kind of tool that will assist you in advancing on your journey through the web, teaching, or whatever else you may be here for! (2.0.)
What does the term Web 2.0 mean to you? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may want to whip out your nearest online or up-to-date encyclopedia. (Or, if you're a lazy bum, just click here.) After doing some research on the topic, myself, (which was actually a bit more extensive than the lazy bum Wiki-option) I have come to several conclusions about the concept of Web 2.0, the first of which being that that phrase is, in my opinion, perfectly cute and clever. While some people may be bitter towards the moniker, due to the fact that the Internet never really had a technical version-update, or switch to BETA, I raise my metaphorical glass to whoever came up with the phrase.
You see, to me, the term "Web 2.0" is, like Ian Davis says, "Web 2.0 is an attitude, not a technology.", which is definitely another conclusion I have drawn about the matter. The change from what would, theoretically, be classified as "Web 1.0" and Web 2.0 is not a change in the internet, itself, necessarily, but rather a change in its users. Internet-users are constantly expanding the massive network's potential, and finding new ways to improve how we put it to use. This includes finding ways to make internet usage more appealing, and expanding the audience that the Internet can cater to (that includes making it all more user-friendly for people who aren't exactly well-versed in programming of all sorts.)
To put it compactly: I see the Web as a tool, and Web 2.0 as a sleeker, easier-to-use version of the tool that makes it possible for more people to use it, and for those who use it to use it with less effort and more freedom.
With that being said, the term "School 2.0" represents to me the importance that educators seize the opportunities that are provided by Web 2.0 and the ever-advancing technology around us. It would be a waste not to take advantage of tools with such potential to assist teachers in teaching and students in learning, and to me, that is what School 2.0 is all about. It is about not falling behind the times and using resources as best as we can.
For schools of the future, this will mean paying attention. It will mean that a requirement of growing-necessity for educators will be an aptitude with, and a willingness to adapt to the evolution of technology. It will mean that teachers will have to become innovators and utilizers of the Web, who will strive to ring it out for all its worth to students.
So, what is the moral of the story, then, for all of you educators, and aspiring-educators, alike? Keep up with and make use of the tool of 2.0!
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