Comments on: Why are schools so afraid of web 2.0? http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/2007/08/16/why-are-schools-so-afraid-of-web-20/ Bringing the world to the classroom Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:37:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Digital Explorer http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/2007/08/16/why-are-schools-so-afraid-of-web-20/#comment-24 Digital Explorer Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:04:13 +0000 http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/?p=21#comment-24 Thanks for your comments. I've been thinking about this again today, and there is an argument for fairly tight control over what pupils do in lessons. There needs to be a better set-up. Some tools exist that can do this. Net Support (http://www.netsupportschool.com/?Lang=EN) make software that can control the applications and internet sites used on pupils' computers. More and more resources seem to go into control rather than facilitating ways for pupils to learn using multimedia resources in schools. There is a wealth of great educational video on Youtube from news clips to environmental films. One way forward I have been considering is to create a media-sharing site for teachers to post images and video that they have made at school. This media can then be easily hosted for use in blogs and in pupils' existing social networking sites. Easily accessible, easily used digital media showing the great young people in the UK and around the world doing very positive activities and hopefully get away from this media stereotype of teens as vandals, sloths and wastrels. Thanks for your comments. I’ve been thinking about this again today, and there is an argument for fairly tight control over what pupils do in lessons. There needs to be a better set-up.

Some tools exist that can do this. Net Support (http://www.netsupportschool.com/?Lang=EN) make software that can control the applications and internet sites used on pupils’ computers.

More and more resources seem to go into control rather than facilitating ways for pupils to learn using multimedia resources in schools. There is a wealth of great educational video on Youtube from news clips to environmental films.

One way forward I have been considering is to create a media-sharing site for teachers to post images and video that they have made at school. This media can then be easily hosted for use in blogs and in pupils’ existing social networking sites.

Easily accessible, easily used digital media showing the great young people in the UK and around the world doing very positive activities and hopefully get away from this media stereotype of teens as vandals, sloths and wastrels.

]]> By: Lady http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/2007/08/16/why-are-schools-so-afraid-of-web-20/#comment-23 Lady Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:32:06 +0000 http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/?p=21#comment-23 In my school, I remember trying to do HTML on the computer once. Teachers do not enjoy that. They wanted to know what I as doing, and when they just couldn't understand, I'd have to stop. I only had one teacher in high school that thought it was cool--he wanted me to make him a website. Other than that, I knew how to get around all the secruity. I was nice about it though, if someone asked me how I did it, I'd carefully explain it to them. They just had tons of little holes and, unfortunately for the computer tech, most of the people that asked how I did mess with the comupters were other students. XD Besides those wonderful things and being banned from the computers for a year(!), I realized how bad the computer skills were for my teachers. The one class that I took for three hours a day was to teach me basic coding and stuff like that--but I knew more than the teacher. If she hadn't had programs on her PC, she wouldn't have been able to explain anything. (I still taught the class more than her, but no one ever paid me.) Anywho, I write a lot. Hehe. Sorry about that.! In my school, I remember trying to do HTML on the computer once. Teachers do not enjoy that. They wanted to know what I as doing, and when they just couldn’t understand, I’d have to stop. I only had one teacher in high school that thought it was cool–he wanted me to make him a website.

Other than that, I knew how to get around all the secruity. I was nice about it though, if someone asked me how I did it, I’d carefully explain it to them. They just had tons of little holes and, unfortunately for the computer tech, most of the people that asked how I did mess with the comupters were other students. XD

Besides those wonderful things and being banned from the computers for a year(!), I realized how bad the computer skills were for my teachers. The one class that I took for three hours a day was to teach me basic coding and stuff like that–but I knew more than the teacher. If she hadn’t had programs on her PC, she wouldn’t have been able to explain anything. (I still taught the class more than her, but no one ever paid me.)

Anywho, I write a lot. Hehe. Sorry about that.!

]]> By: Syp http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/2007/08/16/why-are-schools-so-afraid-of-web-20/#comment-22 Syp Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:45:15 +0000 http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/?p=21#comment-22 Interesting post! It does seem logical to incorporate entertainment with learning, as learning seems to be most effective when students are passionate about a topic and enjoying themselves. However, I think there is a fine line between integrating new technology for educational purposes and getting students to pay attention. Any time you allow students to use the Internet during class, you are bound to get that one kid (at least) who surfs to a different website, most likely unrelated to the topic. However, if the learning tool is a standalone app (I couldn't tell if Rafi.ki was or not -- think it's online membership-based?), this could definitely revolutionize how learning occurs in the classroom. On a different note, I find that many schools lag behind in technology. Even in higher education, the curriculum is usually one step behind with what is current in industry. Interesting post! It does seem logical to incorporate entertainment with learning, as learning seems to be most effective when students are passionate about a topic and enjoying themselves. However, I think there is a fine line between integrating new technology for educational purposes and getting students to pay attention. Any time you allow students to use the Internet during class, you are bound to get that one kid (at least) who surfs to a different website, most likely unrelated to the topic. However, if the learning tool is a standalone app (I couldn’t tell if Rafi.ki was or not — think it’s online membership-based?), this could definitely revolutionize how learning occurs in the classroom.

On a different note, I find that many schools lag behind in technology. Even in higher education, the curriculum is usually one step behind with what is current in industry.

]]>