Chapter+6

= __**Community Building with Technology**__ =

**__What is Web 2.0?__**
1- **Web as a Platform**: In other words web 2.0 allows the users themselves to develop applications and information which can be shared, developed, deleted and improved upon by others. This causes continual improvement and take a view that applications are never at the end stage rather they rely on multiple users continually refining products. In education this allows all students to make improvements upon the work of others and to collaborate together on critical content ideas. 2- **Read/Write Web**: Users are able to not only read information as they would have in web 1.0 but they are the creators of information. They are the readers, the writers, the editors and developers. Tools have made it relatively simple for everyone to be part of this network where all are contributors. Every student is held as equals, meaning all can produce equally, Joey Smith has the same platform as Stephen King to discuss his ideas regarding what makes for a great book. 3- **Harnesses Collective Intelligence**: Users themselves control content on the world wide web. Whether it be making product recommendations on Amazon, giving feedback on ebay, sharing knowledge on wikipedia or creating the next video that goes viral and start a movement. Students can continue the process of using the millions if not billions sources of information and make educated decisions regarding its content.

**__How the web supports community building__**
1- **Facilitates collaboration between students and teacher**. Supports idea of O'Reilly (2005) that "...web 2.0 as fluid space, continually being improved by its user community." Brings up the questions of whether "...a new educational science, with unique characteristics of treating ideas as things that emerge from a sociocognitive process and that are real and can be improved (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2005)." 2- **Students own the knowledge.** More than a textbook where content is simply learned and reprocessed, the student develop knowledge that is added to their prior knowledge. This knowledge building becomes a social activity, not merely an activity of memorization and regurgitation. Technology serves as the storer of that information that can be collected by others and added to in a continuing process. 3- **Organizes the masses around interests**. Websites can be devoted to almost anything whether is be the Holocaust, or travel or juggling. Students, teachers, experts in a field of study or just a random web seeker can find out information about any topic in the world and share their passion with others. 4- **Students become designers**. Students are able to not only add, modify or delete content but also are able to manipulate the appearances of the digital media to the general public and take active roles in shaping the media to those around them.

__Wiki's In Education- Benefits__
1- **Wikis have structure**. In a wiki participants are able to change the information of others, as a result group concensus may overtake individual opinions when it comes to content. As it can constantly be modified so can the organization of the page and the information found within the pages. 2- **Co-authorship.** Students are able to engage in collaborative, co-authored work that is constantly evolving and improving. This can lead to high critical analysis of the content and engages higher order thinking with regard to accuracy and validity. 3- **Information is more than just words**. Wiki's while typically used as a writing medium also can include video, animation, links, and photos to better illustrate key ideas. Users are able to extend far beyond the parameters that might traditionally exist within a conventional classroom.

__**Blogs in Education- Benefits**__
1- **Blogs Give Ownership**. Everyone who has a blog is able to have their ideas that are available for all to see. While first envisioned as a online journal blogs have emerged to include discussions, to facilitate conversation and to link web pages. 2- **Blogs Give Everyone a Voice**. Anyone can have a blog, it takes only seconds to start a blog site, once you own a page, you can broadcast yourself. In education this means that every voice in a class can be heard. All students are able to have a voice which is expressive and describes the events taking place. 3- **Blogs Give Communities a place to come together.** Bloggers can link their pages, include links to other pages or subscribe to a common feed. Members within a class could also be interlinked to one another allowing for seemless possibilities of learning among students.

__**Teaching Community- Benefits**__
1- **Teachers Share Ideas**: Teacher within a learning community are able to have cooperative learning experiences. This sharing of knowledge not only led to greater instruction within the classroom but also, "increased [teacher] self-esteem and developed professional and personal relationships with their peers (Riel, 1990)." 2- **Professional Development Opportunities**: Teachers become parts of communities of discourse, of practice, of knowledge building, and of learners. By facilitating discussion with experts and their peers their skills are improved and also models for teachers the practices they would desire from their students.

__Web 2.0 Websites__ [|Best 174 Web 2.0 Websites] [|Web 2.0 Tools ans Applications]

__Social Networking Websites__ [|Facebook] [|MySpace] [|Elgg] [|LinkedIn] [|Twitter] [|Ning]

__Social Bookmarking Websites__ [|Del.icio.us] [|StumbleUpon]

__Education Community Building__ [|Flat Classroom] [|Graspr] [|LearnHub]

__Resources for Teachers__  [|TeachAde] [|TeachersTeachingTeachers] [|TappedIn]

General Web 2.0 Sites [|Wikipedia]

Probing Questions 1- What can be done within our schools to create students without border, i.e. a truly global classroom for our students that extends not only among students but to those in another state, another nation or another continent? 2- How will the mindset changes that must occur transform instruction within the classroom? How will students, school boards, unions and teachers adapt to the changes that will eventually see our students as leaders within an ever expanding global economy? 3- Everything above requires certain capital resources for all to participate equally within the global community. What resources and what steps must we take as a society to ensure that every student has the capacity to experience a first rate education where economic troubles and harsh living conditions leave some behind while others move ahead?

Links to Article [|Don't Tell Your Parents]