Web 2.0 & Active Learning
Creating a Digital-Rich Classroom
Presentation by Doug Strahler

Creating a Digital-Rich Classroom
By Meg Ormiston
[introduction]
It‟s a Web 2.0 World
[chapter 1]
Today‟s Classroom
[chapter 2]
Active Learning in the Classroom
[chapter 3]
Technology to Support Teaching and Learning
[chapter 4]
Developing a Digital-Rich Curriculum
[chapter 5]
Must-Have Technology for the Ideal Classroom
[chapter 6]
Web 2.0 Classroom: A Virtual Field Trip
[chapter 7]
Changing Professional Development
[epilogue]
Looking Forward

Web 2.0
• “Read/Write Web”
• Promotes collaboration
• “defined by its capacity for and reliance on active
participation by Internet users” (p. 1)

Active Learning
• “Active learning is when students are completely
engaged in challenging and authentic learning
activities.” (p. 19)
• Students are self-motivated
• Active classroom = technology is integral

Common Themes
• Engagement
• Collaboration
• Active Learning

Learning is social, and it should be fun
• Vision of Students Today (VOST2011)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuY1ODN2
Ds8

“Merely outfitting schools with technological
„stuff‟ will not transform teaching and learning.”

“Faculty must attempt to design experiences that
bring together previous experiences and
combine those with the new areas being
explored.”
Williams, J., & Chinn, S.J. (2009). Using Web 2.0 to Support the Active Learning
Experience. Retrieved from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4041/is_200907/ai_n32128809

A Virtual Field Trip
• Chapter 6
• Active learning effects:
▫
▫
▫
▫
Students
Teachers
Parents
Administration
• Nicole, teacher of an active learning fifth-grade
classroom

Setting
• Students desks are pushed together forming
large tables
• Equipment available includes: interactive
whiteboard, a laptop for her use, a
projector, speakers, Flip cameras, iPods, and
other technological tools
• Use free Web 2.0 tool websites
• Student laptop cart (shared between 4
classrooms)

Objective
• Literature class
• Students are placed into small groups and asked
to summarize a book
• Each group is provided with an assessment
rubric
• Seven groups each have unique ways of
completing the objective

Group 1
• Listened to an audio version of the book
• Class rule: With earbuds in, students must use
their fingers as they follow the print version
• 5 earbuds are plugged into a hub connected to
an iPod
• Students created a podcast to summarize the
story
• Audacity

Group 2
• Created movies by using the class‟s Flip
camcorders and edit them with the Flip software
• Student performed mock interviews with
characters in the story

Group 3
• Created Glogs
▫ Mashups using the website Glogster
▫ Interactive poster
• Used the summary information of the story
• Add audio and video
• Example (not from this class)
▫ http://kmakatche.glogster.com/Web-20/

Group 4
• VoiceThread
▫ A group discussion interface with multimedia to
create multimedia presentations
• Attempted to find people who have also read the
book and ask them to comment on their favorite
parts
• Students struggled, because it was their first
time using this software
• Example
▫ http://voicethread.com/?#q.b409.i3617

Group 5
• Used the interactive whiteboard
• Created a presentation including text and images

Group 6
• Built their presentation around a cartoon
character
▫ Created by one of the boys in the group
• Created in a paint program

Group 7
• Created a mashup in Windows Movie Maker
• Downloaded video clips from Discovery
Streaming
▫ A subscription website comprised of
professionally produced, informative video
segments on a variety of topics
• Putting segments together and how to sequence
them

Bringing it all together
• Students published their projects to the
classroom Moodle website
▫ A learning management tool
▫ http://moodle.org

Others thoughts
• Administration
▫ Very supportive of Nicole‟s teaching style
▫ Professional development opportunities
▫ Grant writing
• Parents
▫ Breaking traditional mold of teacher talking, while
students take notes
▫ “They [students] want to continue to learn in this type
of environment.”
▫ Students are excited about going to school and how
they can learn outside of school

What are your thoughts on this set of classroom
activities for on book?

Other case studies
• Chemistry language course used wikis to foster
student interaction by sharing questions and
recording uses of the terminology
• Blogs used for publishing and discussing
student work in a “Digital Culture learning
community
• Students in a government course used social
bookmarking to create a repository of
research sites
Williams, J., & Chinn, S.J. (2009). Using Web 2.0 to Support the Active Learning
Experience. Retrieved from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4041/is_200907/ai_n32128809

Securing Equipment
• Recommends leading with:
▫ “I can help my students be more successful in this
area [be specific] if I had these tools.”

“Every child deserves to learn in this type of
environment. Every teacher deserves a chance to
see how these tools could invigorate his or her
teaching.”

How might your lessons be restructured to take
advantage of the technology?