Article Assessment 2

The Educator's Guide to the

Read/Write Web

Will Richardson

Overview

Will Richardson's article does a spectacular job on depicting the role digital technology plays in our everyday experience, if we so choose. Through publishing personal ideas on blogs, collaborating ideas using information websites referred to as wikis, and broadcasting radio programs using podcasting, teachers and students perspectives of information exchange is forever expanding at exponential rates.

Richardson emphasizes that being literate in todays world requires much more than reading and writing. Continuously polishing skills like editing and quickly identifying online sources, as well as making judgment calls on the authenticity of web based information is key in order to extract useful knowledge.

Reference Points:

1. A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

2. Wiki means quick in Hawaiian and is a website that anyone can edit at anytime Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. The information is policed by anyone interested in posting.

3. An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed, uses an aggregator to collect news and postings from newspapers, blogs, and libraries. You can read them just about anywhere.

4. Social bookmarking sites have made it possible for users to copy not just website addresses, but websites themselves into folders. You can also view the websites that other members have saved. It's a neat way to share resources with people in similar fields or with similar interests.

5. A useful social bookmarking site is furl-net

6. Create a radio program and broadcast it for all to hear on the internet using podcast

7. NPR Podcast directory

Reflection

I think it's great that the internet is playing a larger role in todays education process. It's kind of a free for all, a chaotic masterpiece. For this reason, I believe my efforts to help guide my students to find useful resources like: wiki, blog, podcasting, and other outlets will minimize the time spent on sifting through the vast www.

The internet is here to stay and I have fully accepted its' usefulness. I've also realized some of my students have a better grasp and higher comfortability level when using this ubiquitous information machine. So, I'm OK with reversing the role of student teacher when appropriate.

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