Reflection: Web 2.0 and Learning 2.0

John Seely Brown and Richard P. Adler define “Learning 2.0” as using the resources of Web 2.0, such as open source collaboration, social networking, and interactive education tools, to create an open, participatory learning environment which will support the learner’s passions. The goal of this style of learning is to build upon the knowledge and practices students acquire in school but to instill in them a passion to continue to seek learning on their own.

Learning 2.0 has opened the door for so many ways students can creatively learn.  For example, students may be given a task to create their own movie depicting an era or a specific event in history.  For example, students could create a five minute movie covering an aspect of the Civil War.  The students could cover topics such as the major issues, the major battles, weapon technology, medical advancement, or the toll on society of the Civil War.  Students would be placed in groups of four and given the freedom to create their movie.  The students could be actors in their movie writing their own script.  They could also search the internet for pictures and add music of the era or provide voiceover work.  As an additional item, students could go to www.readwritethink.org and use the timeline creator to create a timeline that corresponds to their movie.

Going outside of education specific software, I believe that an excellent problem-solving or strategy activity could be built around Desktop Tower Defense Pro.  Students would be divided into groups to work collaboratively to determine the best arrangement and upgrades of the towers to prevent the creeps from reaching their goal.  Each student could be given graph paper to sketch out their ideas on the best arrangements.  Then, each student in the group would be allowed to try his or her arrangements within the group.  The group will then look for ways to improve each student’s arrangement before deciding on the arrangement that the group likes the best.  Finally, each group will present their arrangement to the class and see which designs were more successful.  The variables of the game can be adjusted to make it more challenging.