SJS Teacher

What is Web 2.0 to me? Why is it important in education or in the classroom?

Web 2.0 to me is an essential tool for an educator to use in his/her classroom. Because it is called the “read/write web” it gives teachers the ability to create, collaborate, share, innovate, and advertise to the rest of the educational world all the wonderful things that happen in the classroom. And most importantly, it gives their students the chance to do the same. Web 2.0 allows its users to be interactive and users and manipulators of information rather than being mere recipients of it. It allows education on the web to be two- or three- or poly-sided. The receiver of the information can also be its editor, and vice versa. For me, this is what education is all about — in the 80s, we were told that a teacher should not be merely a “sage on the stage” but more so, a “guide on the side”. It makes for education that is student-centered rather than teacher-centered. This philosophy of education IS Web 2.0!