Web 2.0 Chapter 4: new tools in schools

One purpose of schooling in the United States is to educate children so that they may become effective leaders and members in society.

To help students become effective members of society they should be educated and well rounded individuals. Many school system curriculums are geared to help students become well rounded. For example, most schools have liberal arts programs such as band, chorus, and drama in addition to industrial technology, computer (Web 2.0 tools), business, and agriculture programs or classes to introduce students to a wide variety of ideas and occupations. I think the integration of Web 2.0 tools in schools will have a positive effect in doing so.

In addition to these programs, schools have the basic subject area classes such as Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies. These programs are (or should be) taught by highly qualified teachers in these discipline areas. In these classes, students are taught the skills they need to be effective communicators. For example, learning to work with others is a skill thought through group work or projects. During group work, students get a chance to encounter various types of conflicts that may occur in the “real world,” meaning, students might learn to compromise when there are disagreements in order to accomplish the task at hand. This in turn will help students learn new skills or improve ones they have already learned and be able to apply them later in life.

Therefore, the way school curriculums are set, especially now with schools becoming more open to the idea of using Web 2.0 software in the classrooms, not only encourage cognitive development, but also physical, social, and spiritual development to produce well educated leaders and members of society.

Using Web 2.0 software in the classroom provides a chance for more interaction among students and about the subject/content area being taught. When students are excited about learning they will try to go beyond the call of duty so to speak. Furthermore, if they are excited about learning then we as teachers will have better success at producing “self- directed lifelong learners and communicators” which in turn will make effective members of society.