How far have we come and where are we going?
When we began ECI 833 we started off discussing topics from the earliest era's of Plato, Socrates, and other early education theorists, then we moved into the major educational technologies such as having pictures beside the words in books, then came the printing press and how that changed the way education was taught for centuries. As we look at the last century we are focusing on the drastic changes in education. The concept of curriculum, and ways of teaching has changed more in the last 100 years than it had in the centuries/millennia prior. We moved from the radio, to tv, to Web 1.0, 2.0 and are now entering Web 3.0 in our lifetimes.
What impacts does the shift to Web 3.0 have?
Web 3.0 is the personalized, interactive and networked information that is
based upon relevant information in terms of the participants needs. When looking at how we have come from Web 1.0 to this I find that this is improving the education system. When I was young and in school I had access to Web 1.0 and the resources and concepts that I learned from utilizing those tools were not very different than me finding a resource in a card uncatalogued within a library, then reading, referencing and regurgitating the information back to my teacher in a formal looking report, essay, or other bland assignment that I despised doing, and barely remember the facts of.
As I entered into University for my undergrad, Web 2.0 was taking off and the learning opportunities were beginning to expand. School was not just taking place in the building, but online (while being responsive), either in real time or through chat rooms, or LMS (Learning Management Systems) such as MOODLE or eventually URcourses at the University of Regina. In the Gerstein article she says:
"Web 2.0 also saw the development of social media which permits users to communicate directly with one another both synchronously and asynchronously."
I was able to take classes that better fit my schedule as a student athlete because I didn't have to be within the building at a specific time, as long as I managed my time accordingly I could take a class or two on my own schedule.
As I began my masters program Web 2.0 is in full force. So far all of my classes have had some form of component through an LMS or has been in the form of a distance learning/real time networked class that developed my personal learning network (PLN) to improve my learning opportunities. This PLN I believe is what the next level or Web 3.0 is going to have a huge influence on.
To be learning effectively in a Web 3.0 world I believe you will need a strong PLN to help you be connected, a creator and a constructor. Which is what Jackie Gerstein describes as the needs for a Web 3.0 learner. What does that look like?
Who is privileged/disadvantaged with Web 3.0?
With this question I refer to Gerstein's last sentence of her article,"Teachers became teachers to teach students, first and foremost. The learner needs to be central to all teaching endeavors."
With that being our guide or code as educators I feel that we need to make sure whatever we do, whether we continue to utilize Web 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 concepts it must be in the best interest of the students. That being said there were some great comments from our #eci833chat last night.
Some of the responses to this were awesome.
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| Twitter: Erin |
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| Twitter: Andrew |
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| Twitter: Amy |
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| Twitter: Sharon |
As with anything controversial there are varying sides. For myself I will situate myself within my classroom in the community I teach. I am fortunate to work in a very affluent community and I have the opportunity to use tech daily, the students are able to BYOD, so with that being my reality my students are very privileged and are learning quickly and becoming more capable with each tool I am sharing with them. As of right now we are working at the high end of Web 2.0 and I am hoping that by the end of the year I will be transferring them into a 3.0 mentality.
Certainly the disadvantaged in society are the lower socioeconomic status groups, those who do not have the access to appropriate bandwidth, or other infrastructure needed to sustain a Web 3.0 learning environment, or those who have other barriers in their lives.
What are some things you are doing with your class? Personal or professionally to move into the Web 3.0 world?
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