Week 1 - Blog Posting #1 - Web 2.0

I have been completely unaware of the difference between html and xml before, though the ramifications of their use have amazed me. I have been using a computer to create with photographs and teach for 12 years now and am still thinking of it as an individual one to one experience with a tool rather than an amazing collaborative device. I enjoyed the description of the We Think video of the corporation's model being a pyramid, imposing and hard to climb vs the birdnest, empowering and community building. I believe it is going to take large corporations a while to get themselves turned around, much like a big ship changing course. They also cannot see the profit in all this sharing perhaps so are not investing much interest in the prospect of it as a business model. Either way, web 2.0 is here and dramatically changing the world we inhabit, reminding us we are what we share, not what we own. We had lost the encouragement to be creative as we filled in the blanks on our handouts to complete the course objectives and I welcome the change even if the myriad of avenues for expression is overwhelming to me right now.

On the machine is us video I appreciated the format for assembling the video as well as the message at the end that reminds us that with this freedom comes entire areas of life to rethink, commerce, privacy, copyright, etc. Should be the first item to discuss with students as they embark on using web 2.0 in their classes and their lives. Michael Wesch also wisely reminds us that while students use it for entertainment, its true power is giving them the opportunity to create, share and participate in a community. I really enjoyed his comment about empowering students to use the media, not have the media use them. Brilliant to have students create the notes for the class. Makes me wonder how many educators are still having students copying from overhead projector or blackboard, and reminds me why I enrolled in this program...to help change that. gls