Web 2.0 = Pedagogy 2.0

With the increasing interactivity available with Web 2.0, there is a greater need for teachers to be open to experimentation and inquiry-based learning within the classroom. A constructivist approach needs to be used, with ICTs used as a tool and integrated across all learning areas. For this to happen, teachers need to be aware of Web 2.0 functions and students are capable of achieving using the internet. From what I have seen in schools there is a shift taking place amongst students, where new technology is being brought in and teachers are using it in their lessons (sometimes against their will).

A lot of what I see is still very much Web 1.0 based and there seems to be resistance in allowing students to do more complex and interactive Web 2.0 activities. There is still an awe factor in classrooms that make using computers something special, instead of something normal - I've seen students in year 7 shout "Yes!!!" when they are allowed to use the internet for a project. I think teachers are beginning to understand the value of having ICTs in the classroom, but we're still a while away from total normalisation (depending on the school). To change the students' thinking we need to change our teaching, so I propose shifting to Pedagogy 2.0, with more interaction, more questioning, more social construction and more guided discovery. More on that in a later post.

And trust the British to come up with a comedy skit that perfectly demonstrates the "wow" factor of "The Internet" - this is how I currently see the internet being treated in schools and it needs to change. (Unfortunately I'm not able to embed the video, as the embedding has been disabled - but here's the link:)

"The Internet"