Grading on a J-Curve: Web 2.0 Sustainability, Development, and Learning

We all know that our world is rapidly changing. But have you ever wondered why new technological innovations seem to be appearing on a daily basis? Though typically applied to finance and mathematical theory, technology also follows the J-curve model. In the Satir Change model this would look something like:

Status quo (blue): Agricultural Society
Resistance and Chaos (red): Medieval "Dark Ages"
Integration and Practice (yellow): Renaissance 
New Status Quo (green): Industrial Revolution

If we were to apply this same model to American education institutions, you might say we're currently moving through the Integration and Practice phase. In the past, many teachers have resisted using technology within the classroom because it was viewed as unreliable, inconvenient, and/or confusing.  However, since the advent of social media and fiber internet cables, there are very few American teachers (and even fewer students) that are unfamiliar with digital technology. 

One of the biggest questions teachers have when first beginning to learn Web 2,0 skills is how to implement personal professional development in Web 2.0 and learning. In this post, I'll be covering how to accomplish this through describing best practices for sustainability, development, and learning.

Sustainability:
When incorporating new technologies into both your personal and professional life, the biggest skill you'll need to learn will be time management. Without any checks on how long you dedicate to researching, integrating, and modifying course objects information overload can exhaust both you and your students.

Development:
The best teachers I've ever met have all accepted that they're on a lifelong developmental journey. They take interdepartmental classes, gain new/honorary degrees, and apply for various certifications. 21st century teachers must learn to expand their development even further to include not only the latest academic research, but also technological developments. One way of accomplishing this is to set up departmental guidelines, meetings, and workshops for web 2.0 applications.

Professional Learning:
Remember that J-curve we discussed earlier? Well, that model also applies to the learning process! If you or your colleagues find yourself struggling to adapt to new technologies, the most effective solution is (again) sharing and reflecting their learning challenges with other members of their department.

Looking for a real life example of how to integrate technology and information-seeking for modern-day students? Here's one example of how Australia's schools are organizing themselves: