Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for classrooms-Will Richardson

Summary of the reading:

1993-Internet went from a text and numbers based research tool for the few to a colourful, graphical world of information for the masses. The content of the internet was limited.
As access spread, connections became faster and more and more web designers and authors set up shop on the internet.
By the end of the 20th century the internet was seen as an essential communications and research network connecting people around the globe.

2006-More than 25 million blogs had bee set up on the internet.

We are still in the process of expanding how the internet is used.


Internet and Education- Schools have been slow to adapt to these new tools and potentials. The internet has the ability to radically change what we assume about teaching and learning, especially if the students have the ability to reach beyond the classroom walls.
"Todays students of almost any age are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy. They prefer to access subject information on the internet where it is more abundant, more accessible and more up to date." ( National Educational Technology Plan, 2005)
Children are creating content in ways that most adults haven't yet tried.

March 2005-Technology has become "an indispensable tool in the education of today's students"

97% of students believe strongly that technology use is important in education.

The fastest growing age group for using the internet is 2-5 year olds.
Todays students may not be well suited to the more linear progression of learning that most educational systems employ.

Students are more open to the ways of new technologies, schools by and large are not.

Weblogs, wikis, rich site summary (RSS), aggregators, social bookmarking, online photo galleries and audio/video casting are amoung the technologies that promise to change the way in which we teach and learn.