With all of the talk about the exciting opportunities being presented by the inclusion of Web 2.o tools in the classroom, there is also the unspoken anxiety about the pitfalls of this technology. There are many veteran teachers out here who recognize the possibilities, but also wonder about what might be lost. There is no doubt that Web 2.0 tools will not be a perfect fit in all classes, or with all students, and recognizing that fact is probably a good place to get started when thinking about using social networking in our classes. Thinking about all of this has me reflecting on the use of the calculators in schools.
Remember when we first started using calculators in school? Their use was very restricted, and there was always the sense that using a calculator was akin to cheating. We eventually became more comfortable with students using calculators in school. Indeed, calculators are essential tools in high school math classes now. Still, I do think that something was lost along the way, and that we may have fostered a generation of students who have weak math skills, but are terrific at using a calculator. I know kids who can solve difficult math problems on their calculators, but are pretty sketchy with basic computation. That’s a shame.
So what is the answer? I think the answer is to keep an open mind about emerging technology and tools. We shouldn’t start out by detailing how Web 2.0 is a bad idea in our classes. Rather, we should look at how it might fit and how it might benefit our students. At the same time, we should recognize when Web 2.0 doesn’t work for us and move on. There is no sense at all in using this technology just to say that we’re using it. That would be just like all of the mindless conformity that is being thrust upon students and teachers all over the country these days.
Lastly, check out this link that shows how Facebook is being used in first grade class. Amazing, with a cool Prezi, to boot!
