k12online conference

Image source: http://flickr.com/photos/capecodcyclist/105521304/

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2007 conference theme is “Playing with Boundaries”. ~ http://www.k12onlineconference.org/


The first keynote address, by Clarence Fisher (classroom teacher, Manitoba, Canada), outlined four factors of "Classroom 2.0" - a term used to name a teaching style which, by embedding technology into the curriculum, changes the possibilities in the classroom. The first factor, and the key, is pedagogy. The tools of the Read/Write Web are transforming our relationship to our subject matter. He stresses that access to the world wide web is changing how we teach. It is a movement away from memorization and repetition of predifined content toward the learner becoming discoverer and creator. The second factor is the use of tools that promote collaboration. The theme of collaboration is receiving much positive attention in the modern schoolhouse. The tools of the Read/Write web call for authors to share in the creation of messages and presentations (wikis and googledocs are prime examples). Factor three is the change in relationship to information. Digital tools require students to be creators and questioners of information. He notes that such activity will take place between the students and people from all around the world (speaking to the conference theme - Playing with Boundries). Being a good thinker is an important lesson in the 2.0 Classroom. We need to be "prosumers" vs. consumers. Finally, curriculum was addressed. Fisher encourages teachers to look into their curriculum and ask, "What is it that is important in there?" Meaning, we need to prioritize.

Fisher suggests redefining what happens in school by thinking of the classroom as a "studio," a place where many creators work under the guidance of a master. A place where energy and enthusiasm are high and participants are actively engaged in an activity they enjoy.