Reflection to first Webinar Experience

PRESENTOR: STEVE HARGADON

TOPIC: TEACHER 2.0

DATE AND TIME: AUGUST 1, 2:30-3:30AM

Steve Hargadon started the e-conference by stating that our society is experiencing the biggest changes in education and human culture because of the use of web. These changes do not only affect students but also teachers and how they teach.

Steve mentioned 2 changes that impact teachers. First is the changes in organization and the second is change in personal and professional learning. In the first aspect of change, Steve mentioned that people are now highly into blogging and social networking. Around 90 percent of the participants in the e-conference said they are into these online activities. There is also the use of wiki pages in which one can organize content creatively, but is difficult to overwrite. Moreover, he said organizing is now from the bottom going up. In one particular slide, he presented the traditional in which it starts with the institutional idea, plan, market, incentivize and finally participation. He then compared this to the New participation in which it begins with personal, then public, community, and then civic, and the process doesn’t stop.  One use of this is the future 2.0 in which he compared it to a floodgate in which there is a strong release of human energy.

The second is the changes in personal and professional learning. He said that with the use of the web, learning now becomes very personal, as compared to a large class wherein the teacher’s attention is divided. Online teaching also reaches out to students with disability. One clear example of that is Steve’s case, which he said he’s suffering the same skin condition as Michael Jackson and finds it difficult if he is to study in a university classroom setting. Steve also mentioned that students with the use of teacher 2.0 become co-creators and active participants themselves. This leads to what he called the personal cognitive revolution in which the students are significantly engaged in learning even without physically being together. They actively participate in activities and they feel like a part of the event. Finally, Steve said that among the many roles of the teachers, they must be a lead learner.

Steve mentioned a 6 step action plan to be a lead learner and finally ended with some tips. This seminar made me learn a lot of things, and all of which is important as I see myself a future educator. It was my first time ever to participate in an e-conference such as that, and I’m just really amazed at how technology is really integrated into everywhere, including teaching. Though the time of the conference was pretty bad, and I was already very tired and sleepy, I enjoyed how he presented it. As a result of that, I managed to also join in another e-conference at around 4:30 in the morning.