Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills

I thought the first sentence of the chapter was very important; ‘Think back to when you were in school; consider how different everything was then.’  Since I was in Elementary school, technology has changed how subjects are taught as well as how students do research.  Technology has drastically changed how companies run and interact with their clients as well as possible future employees.  The use of video conferences has made it easy for companies to connect around the world.  Technology is changing both how students are educated, as well as what they are educated about.  Today even isolated communities and cultures are able to connect to the internet and are learning the importance of technology in the classroom and training teachers for this change with the help of the corporation Intel.  Work and information can be shared and collected from anywhere and most information is free to anyone.  The term blogger refers to most of the population of the United States who posts and discusses things about their lives, views of issues, or anything they want to share with people.  The bloggers can also have an effect on the people who read their blogs.  Web-traffic and technology is used by corporations in order to track their customers.  Companies are also turning to the web to search and look for potential job candidates.  Being able to use the web correctly and efficiently is becoming a very important skill for students to have as they enter the workforce or higher education.

Four categories of skills:

     Digital-Age Literacy

          ·         Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies

          ·         Visual and information literacies

          ·         Multicultural literacy and global awareness

     Inventive Thinking

          ·         Adaptability and managing complexity

          ·         Self-direction

          ·         Curiosity, creativity, and risk taking

          ·         Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning

     Effective Communication

          ·         Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

          ·         Personal, social, and civic responsibility

          ·         Interactive communication

     High Productivity

          ·         Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results

          ·         Effective use of real-world tools

          ·         Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

(NCREL, 2003, n.p.) © 2003 North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. All rights

reserved. Reprinted with permission of Learning Point Associates.

Students used to learn by having information delivered to them, and then they were tested on the information.  This simply taught students to follow directions and basic skills.  In the world today, students are more collaborative and discuss and share information with their peers.  This process is shown to actually be more effective and helps students be prepared to work in the workforce with others in order to reach a decision.  Studies have shown that most people think that eventually the free online web tools will replace the basic application software because they are more effective in being able to easily connect with others and have others contribute and make changes.

NETS (National Educational Technology Standard):

         ·        Technology Operations and Concepts: I think it is important for teachers to understand and be able to demonstrate how the new technology operates all of its capabilities.  It is also important to have interest and the enthusiasm to continually grow and learn the new technology.

‘To be literate today involves acquiring new skills, including those of using technology, understanding science, having global awareness, and most important, having the ability to keep learning.’

~Web 2.0, New Tools, New Schools by G. Solomon & L. Schrum (2007)

I enjoy learning about all the new technology that is around these days and it has become very essential to being ‘literate’ in the world today.  If I come across something that I do not know how to do, I turn to the internet and like being to figure out the problem.  I always enjoy learning something new.

Source:

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0, new tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in educ.