Web 2.0 - Week 1

Despite my initial unease at the start of my first ICT session, the workshop has really opened my eyes to the many ways in which ICT and computing have become essential parts of the modern curriculum. As student teachers we are constantly striving towards being able to provide a multi-sensory and varied approach to our teaching in order to engage and excite the children. With the recent increase in the availability of technology and the internet over the last 10 years, it is no wonder the use of computers within the classroom has rapidly become a favoured medium to deliver enthralling and enjoyable lessons. 


Web 2.0

Over the last 10  years or so, with the rapid rise in internet use in our everyday lives we have seen a huge development in which we consume and create information. During the mid to late 1990's when the internet was first becoming readily available the majority of those on the internet used it only for consuming information and sending emails. However in more recent years, as the internet has expanded and become more intwined with our every day lives there has been a significant shift in how the internet is being used by the average person. The term Web 2.0 refers to this shift from using the internet as a consumer to the use of the internet as a producer. With the massive surge in popularity of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter, as well as multi-media sharing platforms such as YouTube and Flickr , the people who were once only consuming information on the PC can now upload a vast array of content to share with the world and become the producer themselves.

So how does Web 2.0 relate to the children in your classroom? Well, quite simply it encourages creativity, care when working and much more. Whether it be creating videos to upload YouTube, sharing their work on the 'cloud' storage site Dropbox , or even sharing thier thought in a blog much like this one, becoming a producer of content really facilitates creativity and collaboration as well as preparing the children of today for a future that is sure to be dominated by technology and thus preparing them for later life.

eSafety

While the increase in the use of technology in the classroom can be hugely beneficial to childrens learning, there is also the large issue of internet safety. While the internet is a wonderful thing, there are always those who want to take advantage of the system and so protecting your children from abuse and danger while they use the internet is a hugely important issue. 

Internet safety should be discussed in depth with young children, reminding them (and emphasising) the importance of never sharing personal information online. There is also the issue of protecting children from written abuse in response to created content and screening any messages they might recieve. This is not to mention shielding young children from the vast array of inappropriate content that could be accessed without proper supervision and protection. 

There are many websites containing information about eSafety and how to protect children such as Thinkuknow and a CBBC page. As well as this there is a large number of companies offering security software that is specially designed for use in schools such as Securus.
Many schools have their own policies about eSafety and it is always worth finding out exactly what is expected when working in a particular school. Here is an example of my old school's eSafety policy.

Overall, this workshop has really opened my eyes to the many opportunites to encourage children's creativity and passion for learning as well as reminding me of the serious issues surround internet safety and look forward to continuing my journey into the world on ICT in the classroom. 

Until next time, Stay safe!