#5 - Read some perspectives on web 2.0, school 2.0 and the future of education



There is a growing desire to rethink education and learning, and the phrase "School 2.0" is being used to describe the new direction many think education should take. There seem to be three factors driving this discussion:

  1. New collaborative computer technologies, in particular the read/write web or Web 2.0, distance learning programs, free and open source software, and videoconferencing.
  2. The move from an industrial to information economy, and a change in skills that are valuable to employers.
  3. A culture that is rapidly becoming more transparent and collaborative because of the new technologies, allowing a more open discussion about many aspects of our society, including (and especially) education.

School 2.0 is term used to describe a new vision for education in the 21st century. The name, as you may guess, is an extension of Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts. In School 2.0, learning doesn't just take place in the school, but in a combination of home, school, and community that collaborates to bring the wider world into day-to-day instruction and provide a rich array of learning opportunities. In School 2.0, there is no one path to achieve learning.

Library 2.0 is also a take-off on Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts including harnessing the user in both design and implementation of services, embracing constant change as a development cycle over the traditional notion of upgrades, and reworking library services to meet the users in their space, as opposed to ours (libraries).

Discovery Resources:

General Web 2.0 information

Wikipedia - Web 2.0

The Machine Is Us/ing Us (video)

What is Web 2.0? (Atomic Learning video)

Web 2.0 is Not About Version Numbers or Betas

Perspectives for teachers

Web 2.0: A Guide for Educators

Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail and Learning 2.0

New Literacies: Enrichment or Essential?

Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education

More on School 2.0

Perspectives for Librarians

Away from Icebergs

Into a new world of librarianship

To more powerful ways to cooperate

To better bibliographic services

To a temporary place in time

Wikipedia – Library 2.0

Library 2.0 Discussions (list of great references from Wikipedia)

The Horizons Report - 2008 Applications of emerging technologies to teaching, learning, and creative expression.


Discovery Exercise
Web 2.0 and School 2.0 - these phrases mean many things to many people.

1. Read two or three of the perspectives from the list above.

2. Create a blog post on your reactions and thoughts regarding the articles you chose. In your post, make sure you include the answers to these questions:

  • What does "School 2.0" or "Library 2.0" mean to you?
  • What does it mean for schools and libraries of the future?


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