Thing 5

After reading the material associated with this exercise and seriously considering the question “What does ‘school 2.0’ mean to you?” This is what I have come up with, school 2.0 means accessible education. It is not the profound answer I had hoped and prodded my brain to come up with. Instead, it is the result of my own personal experience using web 2.0 and school 2.0 technologies that has shaped my existing knowledge on the subject. Two years ago I had the desire to go back to school and become a special education teacher. At the time I had two children one of which who was an infant. My educational goals seemed like a pipedream at best. Then someone suggested taking online classes. The next thing I know I am enrolled in college and working on my degree from home. School 2.0 made higher education accessible to me. It not only removed the physical barrier but also physiological barriers that had been a hindrance through my early education. Sitting in the digital classroom provided a certain sense of anonymity. Without a room full of people staring at me I felt free to ask questions, was more comfortable engaging in class discussions, and gained confidence in my ability as a learner. Because of school 2.0 I have become a more active participant in my education. It has opened up a number of other educational opportunities as well. A few months ago I decided that I wanted to learn Italian. I do not have the financial means to hire a language tutor so I turned to the internet. There are literally hundreds of free websites that offer lessons and videos that I am able to utilize. Web/School 2.0 has expanded the traditional classroom. Learning now takes places in a multitude of venues with the aid of new technologies. I did the necessary research for this particular exercise while using my smartphone and eating lunch in McDonalds.

What does school 2.0 mean for the school of the future? I don’t need a crystal ball to foresee that this is the direction education is heading, and I am a proponent.  I think school 2.0 present immense opportunities for both educators and students. As a prospective teacher I am consistently reminded that no two students learn the same way. My own instructors strive to provide me with the necessary tools to be an effective instructor for all types of learners. I see web 2.0 technologies as additional tools to add to my existing arsenal.