The more I learn about Web 2.0, the more frustrating it can be as an elementary classroom teacher. The world is changing so rapidly! The ability to communicate effectively is an increasingly necessary priority. Memorizing facts is less necessary than the ability to locate needed information. As the world becomes smaller and flatter, the needs of learners are changing. The problem I’m encountering is that the education establishment (fueled by NCLB) seems blind to the type of transformation that needs to take place in education. A rigid standards-based curriculum is not the answer! Teachers are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the demands of this curriculum coupled with the increasing number of children with special needs. At my elementary school, we are blessed to have great access to technology resources, but the weight of the demands are causing many teachers to narrow their focus to what must be done each day to meet district expectations related to curriculum. These demands seem to limit the ability of many to see the big picture of the drastic changes that are taking place in the world related to technology, communication, and the power of Web 2.0. Most of the presenters of the K12 Online Conference have been connected to middle and high schools. Is anyone out there having success with getting elementary teachers actively involved with Web 2.0 tools in the classroom? Has anyone found the answer to meshing the real world needs of our students with the rigid expectations of high stakes testing?
3 Responses to “The Great Divide”Leave a Reply |
Entries (RSS)
November 9th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Freida: I won’t claim to have the answers, but I think focusing on writing and student communication skills is a powerful way to get teachers involved in web 2.0. Helping students write better so they can pass standardized assessments on writing is something teachers are familiar with, and by using blogs to expand the audience for students and increase student motivation to write– often we find students writing more often and therefore learning to write better. I think student writing is a great place to start for web 2.0 in the elementary classroom. Blogging can lead to podcasting, which I see as a subset of digital storytelling. I agree that a “rigid” curriculum is absolutely NOT what we need in our 21st century flat world.
Thanks btw for your great presentation for K-12 Online. I posted some text comments and reflections last night after watching your preso, as well as some video feedback on YouTube!
November 11th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
[...] Freida Foxworth’s post on “The Great Divide [...]
November 11th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
[...] Freida Foxworth’s post on “The Great Divide [...]