My first blog, my first post!! I have created this blog as a course requirement to explore, learn, reflect upon, and assess tools of Web 2.0. This course, EDES 501 through the University of Alberta, will be huge for my personal and professional growth as a teacher, and hopefully one day as a school leader as teacher-librarian. We are nearing our second week of classes and I have created a blog, figured out what "RSS" stands for, listened to a podcast, signed up for Twitter, and found a better way to describe to family and friends what Web 2.0 really is. One of my goals is to become familiar with and gain the knowledge to introduce, educate, and guide students through the implementation of the Web 2.0 tools in this course.
I would also like to use this space to ask some inquiry questions about our student education and information technology. As this is the perfect space for collaborating, participating, and expertise it may help in answering some of the questions I have, or give me some insight from some of the experts out there. I question the educational integrity of some social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but realize this wave, this phenomenon, is definitely here to stay. I also wonder why, in this digital, technological age, time is being taken from library instruction. How do we get it back? Are we really preparing our students for what they will require in their futures? Ask any classroom teacher to fit Web 2.0 technologies into their dayplan - what will most respond with? From my experience, most answers have been something like, "Another new activity to fit into my already full schedule?" and "Where will I find the time to do that and meet all the other learning outcomes expected of me?"
So, although I am very excited to learn how to use these Web 2.0 tools, I am equally interested in gaining some insight on these issues from my classmates, instructor and others who visit my blog.
Thank you for taking some time to peruse my blog. I'm officially a blogger!
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You are a blogger! Welcome to the blogosphere!
ReplyDeleteI will be interested to see how you begin to answer your questions about the educational value of facebook and twitter...I would suggest that perhaps not everything has to have an educational value. Perhaps Facebook is just a great tool for reconnecting with and maintaining contact with family and friends. Not everything (in my humble opinion!) has to have an educational purpose. For me, twitter is more educational, although perhaps would not have the same purpose for younger people. I use twitter to maintain and create professional connections and learn from those who are much smarter and much more connected than I am! That's where I am at, but I will be interested in reading more from you as you consider these issues more carefully as the term goes on.
Joanne
Thanks for your thoughts Joanne. I guess I am looking for the educational value right now with my "teacher" hat on. I did (and will again) use Facebook for personal connections with old friends and planning our 20 yr. high school reunion. Twitter, I am a newby and don't really get it yet.
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