We were assigned to read the first few chapters from Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. It is worthy of note that there is a class and a book for such technological means. I have lived in an educational era that ranged from typewriters to computers. Technology has been an evolving explosion in the past fifteen years. I couldn’t imagine having to be taught all of the concepts, programs, and websites, in one class. Luckily, most people in my generation gradually filtered in most of the tools mentioned in this book. And for those few unexposed individuals, well, I suppose that’s why books like this were produced.
Reading the first few chapters of this book made me become conscious that there are some people who are fearful to the use of the internet. It made me realize that I take for granted the use of technology. The book mentions that is important to stress to parents, that the internet and its many components are actually more beneficial than harmful to students. It provided the negative and positive view points that many students and parents face in today’s demanding educational world.
I love how the book raises the negative issues that most technologically biased people are afraid to bring up. Specifically, it mentions how there is a possibility that internet usage could lead to someone being kidnapped, assaulted, etc. However, it also raised the issue that something like that is extremely rare. Another case in point listed how people were inclined to pay bills, email, and keep virtual filing cabinets in a computer. Where as other people were writing checks, mailing letters, and keeping wads of unorganized paper work lying around. It brought up both worlds, yet emphasizing the more positive views of being in a technological mind frame and utilizing the appropriate measures.
Blogs are another appealing concept in this book. It was intriguing to read the negative and positive view points on the issues of blogs. I find it quite interesting to receive feedback on something a student might choose to write about. There is always the remote possibility that the feedback will be inappropriate, but the author mentions the RSS concept which would allow someone to filter the messages before they are posted. The instance where the students analyzed a book and then had the author herself reply back was very interesting. I would have very much enjoyed being in a condition like that when I was younger. I always found myself wondering, what was the author really thinking? It always makes for a more interesting deliberation when you know the real truth of why someone did something rather than having to make the general assumption as to why someone did something. It just goes to show that you learn something new everyday and doing it in a technologically savvy way can be more beneficial to a student in many different ways.
