Klein’s article discusses recent developments in Web technology being used in school communities. It’s sometimes difficult to communicate and collaborate with educators in your district (not to mention beyond district lines) but with the adoption of Teacher and Community sites, ‘learning landscapes’, students,, teachers and parents can learn and share in a single place.
There are a variety of security levels that are in place. For instance, educators can post private blogs to share their lessons, questions, concerns or ideas that only other educators can see. Students can upload projects, images, documents, video or audio and comment on other student’s profiles and work (all pending review by their teacher).
These learning landscapes offer the freedom of accessing this information anywhere there is a computer. I would be completely drawn to this as an educator. It really meets the students on their level. Even if they aren’t able to start their own blog, edit video or create a podcast yet, those are all vital skills that will be necessary in our technology-driven society. It’s also helpful for the educators as a community. To be able to sign in and find a wealth of information and resources in one place is essential. By teachers and parents collaborating through online newsletters, lesson plans and presentation sharing they are reflecting on and refining their teaching strategies which will lead to them being more effective in the classroom.
Questions:
1. Due to the achievement gap in education, would these learning landscapes work in most schools?
I don’t think learning landscapes would be appropriate for all educational settings. Many students don’t have access to technology outside of school (if they even have access in school). Learning landscapes seem to be directed at middle to upper-middle class schools and districts.
2. What could some arguments be against Web based learning and sharing? How could you counter those arguments?
Some people may possibly think it is unsafe for their children to use the Internet in such a free way, but as long as the controls are set up safely there should be no problems. Teachers must choose carefully about which items on student profiles to post and which to hide. It’s also essential that the district monitor closely the comments left by other students. If students start using the profiles as a place to discourage others, then the safe atmosphere will fade away.
No comments:
Post a Comment