View the Webinar: Intro to RETA Webinars and Whirlwind Tour of Web 2.0
Many teachers, students and occupants of the “real” world view Mondays as an excuse to not be alive. We reluctantly get out of bed, cursing the end of the weekend and dreading the start of five long days until the fredeom of the weekends arrive again. Lest I steal the words of The Bangles, we can forget about kissing Valentino and wishing that it was Sunday … it’s just another Manic Monday …. so we might as well make the most of it.
Sometimes, getting back to basics is a good way to start the week. This past Monday evening, Dr. Vannetta Perry, Cecilia Huang and yours truly participated in a webinar offerred by the Regional Educational Technology Assistance program at New Mexico State University. The webinar, conducted by Bethany Bovard, Intro to RETA Webinars and Whirlwind Tour of Web 2.0, was an engaging and thought-provoking hour of discussion about Web 2.0 and the use of blogs, wikis, screencasts, google sites and Moodle. My brief summary of Bethany’s presentation is meant to encourage you to click the link above and view the webinar.
Web 2.0 is the new buzzword that defines the transition of the Internet from a content-driven, corporate-dominated conglomeration for information consumption to a web where the individual is the creator and contributor to the knowledge and information on the web. In Web 2.0, we all have a voice and an opportunity to be heard.
As educators, Web 2.0 offers us the challenge to expand the possibilities that we extend to our students, meeting them in the world that they inhabit and leading them towards the world they will inherit. Web 2.0 gives students technology-rich learning processes that include reading, writing, dicussion, reflection, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration. Equally exciting for students and teachers alike are the learning products and outcomes: presentations, demonstrations, portfolios, information and communication technology, media and information literacy skills development.
