Journal 5 - "Collaboration in a Web 2.0 Environment"

Bull, G. (2006, April). Collaboration in a web 2.0 environment. Learning & Leading with Technology, 33, Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_33_2006_2005_/April_No_7_/April_2006.htm

This article introduces the many ways that students and teachers can collaborate and interact through the use of the many web tools that are available to us today in a “web 2.0” environment. Blogging is a great starting point for collaborative technologies to use in education, but blogs are really only the tip of the iceberg. Social bookmarking sites, collaborative online tools such as GoogleDocs and TaDa collaborative lists, and RSS feeds have opened up a whole new world of opportunities in collaborative education. Not only are these collaborative tools great for their ability to allow multiple people to collaboratively contribute to one assignment, but they also break down the barriers of time and location constraints. Because these collaborative tools are available online, students and teachers are not limited to using these tools just in the classroom. Collaborative assignments can be accessed anytime, anywhere, from any computer with internet access!

Question 1 – What could be some disadvantages to using the collaborative tools available in this “web 2.0” environment?

As with anything that is web-based, online collaborative tools do carry with them some risks. Such risks mean more responsibility for teachers, as these risks would require teachers to monitor students’ online work. Depending on school resources, another disadvantage could be the requirement of a computer with internet access. However, technological integration has reached many schools at this point, and most local libraries have internet access as well, so this is a disadvantage that can be overcome.

Question 2 – Considering these disadvantages, is it too risky for teachers to explore these collaborative web tools and use them in their classrooms and curriculums?

Absolutely not. Working online does require some extra care, but this gives teachers an opportunity to teach their students to be digitally responsible. The opportunities that collaborative online educational tools provide the teaching profession with are vast and incredible, and it would be a shame if educators did not take advantage of these opportunities.