Post 1 Chapter 1 The Read/Write Web
The best aspect of this chapter, at least from my first read and review, is its name. The read/write web gives me more insight into what the author is really going to talk about and teach than all the other references I’ve heard before, such as Web 2.0, and the like. In fact, in the past, when I was asked to talk about “Web 2.0” after having gone to a half day event (at Bridgewater State) on this very topic, I couldn’t even tell what I had learned, because I did not know, and wasn’t told during the entire event, what the core concept of the event conference was about--at least not in words I could understand. It was as if the people there, at least the organizers, thought everyone already knew about the topic, as if first grade or kindergarten student s is expected to come to school being literate enough to apply their skills to past entry-level authors and commentary. That small event so perplexed me, as a member of the District technology Committee, that whenever I heard about “Web 2.0 Tools,” it really shook me! Thinking back now I realize I had no known schema on which to base any of discussion around me. Neither did many of colleagues sitting around me, which, I think, made it worse.
When I reflect on that now, I know it was our current instructor who facilely managed to explain what the others just forgot all about in their enthusiasm to have us all come along for the ride as if we too--the complete novices-- actually knew what “everybody” knows…right? The notion that these tools are all part of the creating of the internet and the consuming of it, as well as the interactive links that coordinate both is more clear to me now—although, I hardly think very many among us “fully" understands it all—as the author immediately claims (see page 8 for actual quote-- but I don’t think I am exaggerating his claim!).
In fact, I fear these blogs will be full of critiques of him –even though he is dutifully teaching me much I did not already now ( so I am grateful for all that); however, the criticism is something he bring s on himself. His generalization, his inept metaphors, his wild and even wildly wrong hyperbole coupled with his lack of understanding of who his audience really is – this all breeds trouble for him from the start. This then may be the kind of book I critique all along the way and on realize later on that I have been duped by poor style into thinking that I haven’t learned much from one who writes so foolishly and illogically. Inside me, somewhere, I know he must be presenting very important material, though he’s trying darn hard to hide that from me… as I am busily fighting off his superficial and not so superficial presentation errors.
A fist critique first comes into play when the q author talks about the word communication in a manner that opposes my own now very long-term comprehension of the term and the art and science of it (as I have my master’s degree in this very interdisciplinary field). He makes the mistake of likening it to the way we teachers use the word teaching ,as if it is a “one –way” term; thus, teachers are always talking about “teaching and learning “ to ensure that two-way street, while the actual definition and model of communications not only implies that it specifically and explicitly includes two way communication as well the notions of encoding, decoding, gaining feedback and then orchestrating messages as go through ‘noise,” so the messages ultimately will gain improved outcome. Communication is not synonymous with message, just as education is not synonymous with just teaching. In both cases there must be a recipient or recipients, all of whom have filters and other forms of decoding difficulties in relationship to the messages or teaching methods coming in and, thus, will do their own interpreting …. Well, I assume you get by now, via my very short course in communication, how the author has already missed the mark when it comes to characterizing a field, and a word, extraordinarily incorrectly--presenting the meaning of a large and key concept inappropriately (or casually speaking just plain "wrong,").
Despite the author's worrisome mannerisms and his neglect, not utilizing research but rather relying almost solely on anecdote and generalization, at least thus far…despite all that , I learned something here: I learned that the questions he poses in this chapter are very important for me to answer, as I think about becoming involved in the read –write web ( and this is what I am thinking right now, not how I am going to use it in the classroom—at least not just yet thank you! I must value what the read –write web can offer me in the meantime, so his questions about passions (in my case broad ranging interest and creativity) are significant ones for me, ones i will need to answer well.
In his own way, he also asks: from whom do I expect to learn (9), although he phrases it differently, of course. He also asks: How do I intend to use what is at hand and how will I be able to reach and whom will I be able to reach to pursue those passions via technologies that open up to me? Again, his wording is far different than mine, but the notions, I hope are the same). As I sit at the computer writing this initial reflection, I honestly don’t know just yet. I know what he is trying to say—just get your feet wet, your hands dirty, just get into he “swim” of things—that kind of thing. But being here unknowing and slightly scared of knowing that I might not be good at this, it’s all a little or a lot discouraging … I do not yet have answers to his first three questions. And certainly as I maintained before, I am not even thinking of his fourth and final question. Not yet.
I am grateful that the book is but a part of this course and that Foxborough and Keri are the other parts of it—intentionally the much larger parts that will help me come out my shell on this pristine beach of know-nothing-ness. Wanting know-how, wanting knowledge isn't new to me, but having to really work to get even the basics is! That's what makes me afraid of the technology involved. There I’ve actually said it—and I haven’t before. I’ve called myself an technological immigrant versus native, I’ve talked around the issue a lot; I’ve tried to think of myself as an active participant in a changing world, and, well now that I’ve admitted there is fear in me that I’ll fail… I do feel a little better. But really, very little.
Snap out of it, then. Don’t I expect my own students to come out of their shells and try? Don’t I expect that of them, even if they are trying something they may not be very good at, even if it takes many, many hours of (pretty bad) work to slowly, slowing amass some skills? Sure I do. Okay, then, I’ll make like the “The little engine that could…”
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