Article Review on Technology in Education: Academic Social Netwroking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies - Essay Example

The concept of academic social networking was thereby expounded by initially providing definitions of terms ranging from Web 2.0 technologies, as well as wikis and blogs. Accordingly, the authors explicitly disclosed that “Web 2.0 technologies are versatile, affordable, and widely available, allowing educators to seamlessly infuse digital literacy experiences into their classrooms” (Taranto, Dalbon, & Gaetano, 2011, p. 13). By providing concrete examples of how Web 2.0 technologies, particularly wikis, are used at Mrs.

Dalbon’s and Mrs. Gaetano’s classes at Canonsburg Middle School, the authors validated the significant impact and benefits of these technological applications in improving academic performance of students. The findings revealed that “by incorporating an academic social network as part of the classroom experience, collaboration and active learning take on new forms, and a transformation from passive learning to active learning may occur” (Taranto, Dalbon, & Gaetano, 2011, p. 18). . tizenship among students; and compliance to an academic social networking contract that adheres to policies and procedures regarding appropriate language, observing grammatical rules, and adherence to privacy and confidentiality, among others.

The learning environment provided by the technological experience within the classroom setting is conducive to corrective behavior upon violation of the conditions through close monitoring and immediate response accorded by educators on students. Likewise, students view this form of academic social networking as fun and provide the appropriate learning environment that adapts to the demands of contemporary times. When students were interviewed, the authors revealed that “while technology is often said to create isolation, these students seemed to feel that using the wiki had the opposite effect when compared to traditional, teacher-led classroom discussions of novels” (Taranto, Dalbon, & Gaetano, 2011, p. 15). The overall empowering opportunities accorded by wikis encourage the development of higher order thinking skills and the chance to voice out thoughts and opinions, regardless of what other students feel or think.

Personal opinion on how you believe technology will shape education in the future One’s personal contention on technology and its various applications is that these would continually and significantly influence education in the future. Through acknowledging that these technological applications enhance learning and provide greater opportunities for students to develop diverse cognitive and communication skills, more studies and research on innovative technological impacts would be revealed.

Technology has already revolutionized diverse sectors of society, including the academe, specifically through providing