Bob Godwin-Jones
Virginia Commonwealth University
Language professionals have embraced the world of collaborative opportunities the Internet has introduced. Many tools -- e-mail, discussion forums, chat -- are by now familiar to many language teachers. Recent innovations -- blogs, wikis and RSS feeds -- may be less familiar but offer powerful opportunities for
online collaboration for both language professionals and learners. The
underlying technology of the new tools is XML ("extensible markup language") which separates content from formatting, encourages use of meta-data, and enables machine processing of Internet documents. The latter is key in the ability to link automatically disparate documents of interest to individuals or groups. The new collaborative opportunities this enables have led some to consider the growing importance of XML as the signal of the arrival of the second-generation Web."
Ok... I have to admit, I do sort of forget why I blogged this quote. I tacked it on quickly, as a post, however, I promptly forget why it was interesting. I am guessing that I probably noted this because it is an entry point to some of the evolutions in the internet that we have seen in recent years, and have resulted in what some refer to as the second generation web, Web 2.0 (Brought to you by O'Reilly -- my cheque is on the way), or, what the internet was really meant to be.
The internet is in flux, and it is hard to keep up with how quickly things move. There are so many tools that are available in an accessible form, that could have so many potential uses in the educational setting. Time and willingness to try something new or different in attempting to integrate technology meaningfully could be obstacles in some settings. A lack of understanding and diversity of opinions on what it actually means to engage learners meaningfully certainly doesn't make it any easier!
The above quote inspires me now because of its references to collaboration. In education, it is so easy to feel as though you are alone - you shut your classroom door, and its just you and your kids. The internet, and some of the new ways of using technology provide a fascinating way to open up the classroom to the world. Of course, this is reality, and not everyone is piloting a 1-1 laptop initiative with massive funding and support. Nor does everyone need to be in order to make technology meaningful for your students. It takes a great deal of creativity, planning and patience to deal with a computer with a dial-up connection and Windows 95, or pre dual-processer Macs....
So how do you deal with limited lab access or a lack of computers compared to the number of students you face? You get innovative. Narrow your goals, and decide what you really want your students to get out of the experience. Plan, plan, and plan some more. Make sure that you have practiced what you want your students to be able to do, and know what could go wrong. Ensure that students are fully prepared before they hit the computers. And most of all, take a deep breath when it seems like everything is going wrong.
As teachers, administrators, members of the education community, there is an opportunity to reach continue the process of life-long learning that is promoted to students. We can engage ourselves in learning, and equally as important - constructing knowledge. If blogs, wikis and RSS feeds are foreign to you, look them up! These are tools that allow you to connect, reach out, and monitor. They are tools that allow you to engage in the evolving conversation, and let your voice be heard.
Links:
O'Reilly article - What is Web 2.0 http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
Blog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Blog Search - Google http://blogsearch.google.com/
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