Web 2.0 Chapter 1 Discussion

A.   After reading the introduction and Chapter 1 of the book Web 2.0 new tools, new schools by Solomon and Schrum some interesting thoughts kept popping up in my head. It has occurred to me before reading this that many of our jobs today are being outsourced to different countries to reduce labor costs. However, after reading this chapter I realized that this is mainly due to changes in technology which allow workers to contribute across the web regardless of where they are located. Instead of complaining like workers are doing today they should begin to acquire new skills in technology and use that technology to their advantage as well. This is where a business education teacher plays a vital role. We are able to help our students see the future trends of the world and help prepare them to take full advantage of the opportunities that await them.
Students today are well versed in the latest technologies. However, many students do not use these technologies for education or for commerce. Rather, they use these tools mainly for entertainment and social purposes. Students today have a good sense of how to use this new technology and therefore it is our job as teachers to help them use this technological education for useful topics. For instance, in the business education classroom students could apply Facebook applications to help advertise for local businesses. Students could use twitter to follow some of the greatest thinkers in a particular field that they are interested in. This would allow them to gain vast knowledge using a medium they are comfortable with. Wiki’s are another useful form for the classroom because students can join from anywhere and contribute their own thoughts to what is going on in the classroom. This will enable students to become more engaged and feel like they are actually contributing in the classroom.
The chapter also made an interesting comment on how our world is moving from a competitive scene to more of a collaborative one. This is very true and it is definitely evident in many business environments today. In order to enable our students to learn the skills that are necessary in the workplace we need to assign them tasks that involve group work and collaboration. As a teacher I would like to have projects where the students will share ideas with each other online and also follow other experts in the field to ask for recommendations for the project. The future will be more about how effective we are in using information that we receive rather than how much we know.
The chapter also talked about four categories of skills that are necessary in our future students. They are digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity. If schools are able to teach these four main skills the United States will be better able to keep up with emerging nations that are taking many of our jobs. These skills will help students create new products and services that can take place online and around the world. We are no longer in the industrial age where we can sit back and work for a company the rest of our lives. We have to constantly adapt and change with the world or else we will be left at the back of the pack.

B. To apply these main points in the classroom it is important that teachers focus on projects and assignments that deal with collaboration and using information to create something of value rather than memorizing facts and information. Teachers need to stress the importance of technology to school administrators to enable the students to be able to use the latest technologies in the classroom. This includes having wireless internet access throughout the school building so students can plug in online anytime they would like. This means establishing programs that give laptops to less privileged children so that they too can enjoy the new expanse of the web and the possibilities that it can bring to them.
In order to teach the four categories of skills that are necessary for our students such as digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity there needs to be changes in the way teaching takes place. No longer is there a need for long boring lectures and written tests that test how well you can memorize. Today, teachers should help students learn how and where to find the information that is critical to their assignments that they will be working on. The assignments are not questions out of a book or a test. Rather, assignments should consist of group work where students follow prominent industry leaders on the next big thing in business. Then they can use the web to research how to use this new thinking or product to effectively create something of value. In my classroom students will be responsible for collaborating and working on a project in which they create something new to society and it has some type of value. Communication in the classroom can take the form of talking, texting, Skype, wikis, and blogs. While students are working on their project they not only have access to the teacher but to people around the world that can help them on their project.
c. New trends in the world that deal with technology are greatly affecting commerce in our society. Today employees need to be literate in the latest technologies to keep in touch with the world and keep up to pace with the fast moving information age. Employees need to think like an entrepreneur and come up with new and creative ideas to serve the world. This means taking risks and talking about ideas that are not even fathomable but could be done. Once an idea is formed employees in business are now collaborating with each other to make the idea a reality. Using the brainpower of an entire organization is much more effective than a single person. So an idea that doesn’t seem possible at first could turn out to be the next greatest thing to serve the world. Workers are also going to need to be very productive with the time they do have at work. This means utilizing all of the time saving technologies that are available and working with others to complete projects.

Businesses of the future will need students from our schools that are equipped with these new skills. In the future I believe business will not even be conducted at an actual place of business. Rather, many products will be sold online and shipping will become faster than ever. In fact, an area that is desperately needed is something to replace an airplane for faster travel. With a technology like this in our hands it would be very hard for other companies to compete. Business will take place on the computer. This includes banking, accounting, legal, shipping, meetings, and marketing.
Youth, Technology, and Business