Reaction to Newsweek article

The New Wisdom of the Web

The above article takes the discussion of Web 2.0 further. I feel like I'm caught up into some kind of SI-FI plot. There is a collective intelligence aided by technology that can troubleshoot and make decisions better than not only individuals but also the experts themselves. Old power holders no longer control the media. This is scary in a way. What if we decided to throw out government and move to a pure democracy through Web 2.0 technology where every decision that affects society is decided by behavior on the web? This kind of like the show, "Who wants to be a Millionaire?” where the crowd is always right. My fear lies in the truth that the crowd is not always right.

Any ways, paranoia aside, this article was helpful to me. I can now see that I need to do better about keeping up with new trends in technology and consider how they impact my students and I. I also need to see how I can use this in the classroom. I think that at the very least a lot of this Web 2.0 stuff will give me new avenues of collaboration professionally. Teachers should collaborate.

Reaction to Social Bookmarking article

Social Bookmarking
This is a useful tool in the classroom. I run a computer lab, and we often have trouble personalizing the experience for each student. The idea of having a place where they can save useful links for future use is valuable. Students can also collaborate. So if there is a team all working on a similar topic then they can share what they have found and don't have to worry about losing the information if they switch computers or some one else deletes there files. I'm actively looking at adding this type of solution to some of the research projects that I have.

My one concern, though, is that schools will not approve of students participating in social networking sites.

Reaction to O'Rielly article

What Is Web 2.0Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software by Tim O'Reilly09/30/2005

I must say that since our classroom discussion, my experiences since then, and reading the above article my eyes have been opened to Web 2.o, which I'm embarrassed to say that I was ignorant to before. I have heard of blogging, (which I'm doing now for the second time), but did not see it as a big deal. I'm aware of a lot of the technology that is involved and the uses of it. Where I was ignorant was in the change in culture and philosophy on the Web. There has been much talk about how the common man has gained a voice that rivals the media for power and influence, but I failed to see this as connected to other trends that all add up to Web 2.0. Now I can see the distinction.

The bottom line is that people, the end users, are now adding to the content, software, and design of the Web like never before. It is almost like shifting from a early American style democracy to a more modern one. Instead of a few wealthy people having a say, now most people can share their ideas and bring value and expertise along with them.

I love the shift in software described here. I have already participated in open source software, and plan to due so more. I even plan to write program this summer that I could submit. What a neat idea. Let others take apart, evaluate and upgrade your product beyond your limited design.

So, Web 2.0 is more than blogging. It is giving others a way of joining together in a community of sorts to enrich news, media, software, data, and business services.