Travel Diaries of a Web 2.0 Newbie

In the “7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners” Thing, I chose “Create your own learning toolbox”, and as I look back over the last twelve weeks, I feel that I have actually managed to do this. Resources such as Google Reader, RSS and delicious have solved real problems I was experiencing prior to the course and as a result, I waste much less time browsing through a whole host of different websites.

In terms of my teaching, I see a lot of mileage in using wikis and podcasts to help my students with their learning – allowing them to be more creative is to be encouraged, as well as hopefully letting them enjoy their learning experience – I am haunted by a quote from one of the blogs I read about hating school because we love learning. I want to be an effective teacher, and if helping my students learn well, and still enjoy it, involves using a whole range of different methods, including Web 2.0, then I want to be prepared and equipped to do this.

I still think there is a danger in using Web 2.0 as a gimmick – if the teaching behind the use of these resources is not solid and well thought-out, students will learn badly whether their teacher is using a blackboard or a wiki.

In addition to all the resources for my teaching, I have enjoyed feeling a part of a wider community of teachers – being able to listen to such an extensive range of views and opinions has been very stimulating and I have enjoyed the fact that I can also contribute in such a flexible manner, at any time and from anywhere. Continuing interaction with this community is something that I definitely want to pursue, in terms of my professional development, and I am hoping that things such as Classroom 2.0 will be a real asset in this.

One of the biggest challenges I see is trying to encourage other teachers to try out the same resources I have discovered. The slow pace of change in some teachers’ teaching style worries me a little, but I have enjoyed interacting with those who have experienced the same scenario and have provided useful tips and suggestions and made me think more about this issue.

There are many more things I could write about, but another worrying thing I have learned about myself while doing this course is that I can ramble on when writing a blog post, so I’m going to stop.