Starting the Talk

How do we start talking about Web 2.0 in our classrooms?

Will Richardson (www.weblogg-ed.com)
Will Richardson started with a journalism class. He found that it changed the nature of how he approached teaching in the classroom. He blogged that we are halfway there towards really using these tools. What we need now is better understand the pedagogy that goes along with the tools.

How open are we in terms of changing our own nature towards teaching and learning? How do we identify the barriers to adopting Web 2.0 tools, including our own?

David Warlick (2 Cents Worth)
David spoke about staff development. He mentioned that we have our online learning (Moodles, etc.), however professional development is now based in Web 2.0. I've felt this since I came on board Technology Services at BOCES #1 that my professional development has been online in the Web 2.0 format. My use of RSS has gained me more access to like minded individuals than I could at any conference.

Lynne Schrum
We need to know what are the good stories of using Web 2.0 tools in specific content areas. Each content area is taught differently. We need good models of use from those using the tools now.

Tim Manger
Talked about how we are at "the mothership" while at NECC and that we still need to return to our schools and districts to speak a language that administrators, teachers, students and the community around the school. Displaying the School2.0 map he encouraged the group to use this as an opportunity to start conversations around building greater communities of learners and not building the fastest, most secure networks within the school infrastructure.

This resonates with me so much. I have always felt that the school community (admin, teachers, students, parents, faculty and staff) is about serving the students. Keep that end in mind and we will succeed. I love his analogy of school being equivalent of diet & exercise... school is not "top of mind" for our students. While we preach that our children's job is school, we almost treat them as inmates or slaves to our curriculums and testing.

NOTE: The conference was blogged/podcasted by many attending. You can follow the conversation by searching Technorati with the following tags: necc2007 necc07 necc to read more about this particular session search for this tag: n07s702.

If you have a story of Web2.0 success you can send them to Gwen_and_lynne_book2@yahoo.com.