Over the past 15 years, technology has constantly evolved, creating and expanding for the learning capabilities off all students. We see it everyday, as new products arrive to local stores ranging from smartphones to computers. The 21st century classroom has also evolved as teachers, administrators and parents have come to understand that students need innovative ways of instruction, which combines creative and critical thinking skills that promotes life long learning.
In research that has analyzed and tracked the trends in education, the main component that has repeatedly come to the forefront of how education must include an approach that is rich with technological experiences and replicates real-world and meaningful experiences, stems from a long time understanding that learning is active and is developed through constructing knowledge more so than obtaining it (Vygotsky, 1978).
Classrooms are now embracing Education 2.0, in which students are interacting with learning through collaborations of communities and networks with their peers. Education 2.0 is a new element of the trusted theory of constructivism, which combines Web 2.0 with classroom instructional strategies. Technology and education has evolved students and teachers from just finding information to creating information (Rosen & Nelson, 2008).
The Discovery Education Techbook engages and motivates students in learning science content through the use of many of these Web 2.0 tools. Students have the ability to use the editable video segments to generating their own videos that demonstrate understanding and knowledge. They can also eliminate the sound and create their own narratives of the video segments. The images along with the videos can be used in a variety of ways from students making slides shows to creating Glogsters, which are interactive posters that can include a mixture of media ideas for displaying their knowledge of the science content. Songs are also included in a variety of content areas. Students can include these songs in their media creations with video segments and images or as idea starters for creating their own songs.
Many schools will take advantage of the Discovery Education MediaShare component, which allows students to share their work and creations with one another as well as permit teachers to share ideas, lessons, and assessments for incorporating effective technology strategies.
There are many more strategies teachers can tap into when it comes to moving into an Education 2.0 classroom. The Discovery Education Science Techbook is a great resource for encouraging participation and knowledge creation. Using the Science Techbook and other effective strategies that provide the opportunity for generating meaning and innovative ideas will transform classrooms. As educators we must focus on developing inspired and innovative thinkers, which means providing students the strategies necessary for them to construct knowledge that is new and creative.
Rosen, D., & Nelson, C. (2008). Web 2.0: a new generation of learners and education. Computers in the schools , 25 (3-4), 211-225.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society: the development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard university press.