Interactive Technologies: The Positives for Teachers and Students

Part 2 of 2
by Nancy Willard

Last month, I discussed the concerns of teachers linking with students on commercial social networking sites. But the other side of this picture is the incredibly positive uses of these kinds of interactive technologies.

Interactive, collaborative publication technologies are the way in which your students will learn, conduct work activities and participate in community and public affairs for their foreseeable future. It is essential that schools provide students with the opportunity to do so effectively, safely and responsibly.

The difference between their “Web world” and yours Our students have fully moved into the Web 2.0 world, while most schools have remained in a Web 1.0 world. What is the difference? In the 1.0 world, the Internet functions primarily as an extension of a library—a static information resource. Yes, some email communications are available, but not for students.

Conversely, Web 2.0 educational activities are the future of educational technology:

• Blogs: Students can post writings and other creative works for other students and potentially the world to comment on.
• Wikis: Students can collaborate in the creation of a “work.”
• Podcasts and multimedia videos: Students can create broadcasts and multimedia videos for their class, school, parents, community, and world.

Web 2.0 technologies can provide the opportunity for authentic, constructive, global-based instruction. They allow students to create, communicate and collaborate. Teachers can set back from their role as “transmitter of knowledge” to allow their students to embrace their own learning.

Implementing the use of these technologies in today’s schools will be challenging. There has been far too much reliance placed on filtering. Do a search on “bypass Internet filter” or “unblock MySpace” to see how well this approach is working. Right now, the only people in schools blocked by the filter from accessing anything are the elementary students and school staff.

So we must shift the approach used to manage Internet use in schools to facilitate the use of Web 2.0 technologies. If schools try to stay in the Web 1.0 world, they will increasingly lose students to the online learning companies—or just lose students. Key to accomplishing this shift is maintaining a strong focus on the use of the Internet at school for educational activities only. This must be supported by clear standards and professional and curriculum development. The primary focus on blocking must shift to more effective supervision and monitoring.

The student as “professional”

When schools establish Web 2.0 environments for learning, the tone is different. These are environments for “professional” postings and communications. The “profession” of a student is that of a scholar. They are specifically and intentionally not “social” environments. Web 2.0 environments in school must have appropriate use policies and effective monitoring of all postings.

Professional, supportive, student-teacher communications can be fostered—but social communications would not be considered appropriate within this environment. The tone established in such an environment is very similar to the tone students will be expected to follow when they use these technologies in the workplace. It is essential that they learn about the differences between professional online communications and social online communications.

It is impossible to prepare students for their future in classrooms that were designed to serve the industrial model of our past. Many educational leaders throughout the last century have advocated a shift from the industrial model of education to more collaborative authentic learning. Web 2.0 technologies will allow this change to occur.

Nancy Willard, director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, has taught at-risk children, practiced computer law and was an educational technology consultant before focusing her professional attention on issues of youth behavior when using information communication technologies. Willard frequently lectures and conducts workshops for educators on policies and practices to help young people engage in safe and responsible Internet use and has written numerous articles on the subject.