NEWSFLASH: Web2.0 Renders Conventional Schools Obsolete
Catchy title, no? Hehehe… It is with great pleasure that I direct your attention to Podcast2.0, a welcome newcomer to the conversation on educational technology. Rest assured, the lunacy you may consider to be reflected in the above title is purely my own, and NOT that of the illustrious Steve Whitaker and Roger Geyer, hosts of Podcast2.0 (their lunacy has more to do with… oops, there I go again, wanting to tell tales out of school ;->).
I just finished listening to their first show and I’d like to chime in (at length) with a couple of thoughts. Early on in the podcast, Roger suggests that there’s a general sense that the implications of web2.0 are “huge,” albeit elusive. Steve then goes on to bring up the “tipping point” question: Are these web2.0 tools like most educational technologies of the past, or will they be different? That is, can web2.0 technologies be leveraged to significantly enhance learning in the classroom? Many folks, myself included, are very excited about what’s appearing on the edtech horizon. As Roger and Steve mention, the buzz words include “participatory,” “2-way web,” “multilateral collaboration,” and “student generated content.” But has anyone stopped to consider the fact that the concepts behind these terms are in conflict with fundamental process of conventional schooling? Or that when O’Reilly says that web2.0 is “an attitude, not a technology,” he’s pointing to a premise that has the potential to revolutionize the way citizens become educated?
I believe that when learners truly begin to adopt this “web2.0 attitude,” and when they truly begin “participating” in their own learning, and developing “2-way” relationships with other participants, and generating content that is meaningful to them as individuals, they just might realize that they have little need for the mandated coercion that is their common experience in school. Then, when they find out that they don’t really need to go to “school” to get in to college, or to be successful and happy in life… oooh baby, look out! The monolithic system of bloated bureaucracy that is today’s public education may be rendered obsolete. (The cynical me says, “Like THAT would ever happen!”).
I tend not to think of the tipping point in terms of whether web2.0 technology can be leveraged to enhance learning in classrooms, but rather whether administrators, politicians, businessmen, and even teachers, can relinquish control to a grassroots force driven by an open source attitude and a share-alike style.
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for the mention— I left you a Syndicate Voicemail about this.
July 23rd, 2006 at 8:43 pm
Quite frankly, I find “the big picture” of any given formal educational scene rather daunting, and more than a little distasteful (e.g. the latest goings on in Texas. Even in a “vacuum” of ideal circumstances, it is a challenge to develop web2.0 pedagogy, but our greater challenge is to then transform society’s expectations of a pre-packaged product into an acceptance of “perpetual beta.” This, of course, falls within the realm of “tech integration leadership.” While I am heartened to know that the likes of Sara Dexter are valiantly striving for greater good in this arena, I seriously question any systemic response to the web2.0 challenge. (I do not wish to imply that a mass solution is what Sara D. is working towards. Sara’s expertise lies in technology leadership, and without making any claims about her professional or personal mission, I simply want to acknowledge her admirable efforts). There are many who seek to build bridges between “islands of excellence.” I, too, should like to do the same, but only where bridges are needed. I believe in customized solutions — may they be wide, varied, and bottom-up!
July 24th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
I couldn’t agree more about the imposing nature of the “big picture.” And when it’s about something like this – a major shift in the overall way that education should happen (as opposed to curricular changes in the guise of particular elements being added or dropped) – it’s even more difficult to try to tackle.
But if I know you, you’ll agree that it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. And I agree that the customized solutions are the best. I also think, though, that by providing exemplars we can also try to shape the formation of custom solutions, if not the precise content of them.
As a parallel, consider Wordpress itself. It’s intended as a Blogging tool, and comes with a decent capacity in and of itself. But its most important feature is its extensibility, allowing anyone to take it and run with it. I see Web2.0 as a macrocosm of that – the tools are there for us to use as we see fit. So instead of telling educators what to do, let’s show them some of the things the tools can do.
July 24th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
You know me well, indeed, Steve ;->
I like the analogy to WordPress — very fitting. Given the grassroots nature of Web2.0, and the “viral” transmission of ideas and tools, I am hopeful that meaningful changes will come to pass, despite the best efforts of any misguided Texas school board or legislature!