I See the Light! Or How Classroom 2.0 Live Has Given Me New Directions

Since December 2009 I have been tuning in, mostly via archives, to the Classroom 2.0 sessions. I have learned a great deal about the use of Web 2.0 technologies --and I thought I knew a lot already. I would completely recommend these sessions to anyone interested in developing new pedagogical skills. You won't be disappointed.

Here is an example of how one session changed my practice:

Copyright, Creative Commons and Databases with Joyce Valenza and Buffy Hamilton. Library media specialists with recognize Valenza and Hamilton as leaders in our field. Valenza's presentation focuses on the purpose of copyright, noting that it was intended to enhance rather than to restrict access to materials. New copyright rules specifically allow for transformative use, the use of copyrighted material in the creation of another work. Valenza also explains Creative Commons and recommends that students license their work under Creative Commons not only as a means of protecting their rights but as an instructional tool in intellectual property awareness.

Hamilton's presentation concerned ways to increase use of databases by students. She recommends creating custom widgets to guide students research.

The direct result of my attending this session was that it inspired me to create my AskMrsMartin page. Though not specifically the purpose of the their presentation, the links that were included and the embedded content on these links, gave me new ideas to pursue for this page. I embedded on my site several widgets that seem to be popular with the students. This site has been quite valuable in giving the library a virtual presence. For example, by use of the instant messaging widget, students working on research assignments were able to communicate with me at home when the could not independently find the information they needed. I was able to provide the scaffolding they needed to complete the projects.

Classroom 2.0 sessions air live each Saturday at noon EST. Archived sessions and links are available shortly after the live broadcast. I have only attended one session live, but I look forward to attending more. Simply put, we cannot independently keep up with the emerging tools and trends in educational media. Classroom 2.0 provides an inobtrusive way for us to interact with others who share our passions and concerns. Check it out!