What have been your prior experiences with Web 2.0 technologies?
I have had a fairly varied experience with Web 2.0 technologies. For the most part, these experiences have been limited to those utilized in the school settings. In other words, free and not blocked in our county. I was also able to use ThinkQuest, despite the fact it is not condoned by our district. I learned and used a lot of different things like VoiceThread, YouTube, etc., that are blocked, but have excellent educational potential. I have attended the Florida Educational Technology Conference for the last three years and highly recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity. I have also participated in the Florida Digital Educator certification for the last two summers to gain experience in both the PC and Mac platforms. I have also facilitated the implementation of the Enhancing Education Through Technology II grant, as well as mentoring the Action Research component of the grant.
Do you consider yourself a leader or follower in this realm, or something else altogether? Why?
I consider myself both a leader and follower, as I know a fairly decent amount about the Web 2.0 technologies. I spent two years as a technology trainer for the Lake County School district and the last year working toward obtaining my Master Digital Educator certification through the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. I will always be a follower, because the technology changes at such a rate that there will always be much, much more to learn – a new application of an existing technology or a new application altogether.
I hope to get a more well-rounded and current experience of Web 2.0 technologies, they change so quickly that I find it necessary. I have made some attempts at second life, and need MUCH more work with that!
Kay,
ReplyDeleteLast week we read and discussed how Web 2.0 technology allows "common" people to form new groups and alliances. It also gives people interactive access to scads of information. However, reading from your blog post, it seems that it is very easy for any controlling entity to block access to Web 2.0 content, thus limiting its usefulness and the freedom to form groups and access information. Any thoughts on that?
John S.
To piggy-back on John's comment: I guess that the dynamic power of Web 2.0 tools to be bleeding-edge-current is accompanied by a significant measure of fragility. If the information is not on media you possess, then your access to it is potentially tenuous. Access to content can be blocked, as Kay experiences, and web-sites can be taken down either voluntarily or through DDoS attacks. The same software structures that can filter out viruses and other malware can also filter content. This brings into sharp focus the work of groups like the Electronic Frontiers Foundation and others that spend a lot of time thinking about who "owns" access to the internet.
ReplyDeleteUsers in China and elsewhere are arm-wrestling over this every day.
Kay, can you talk a little to WHY certain technologies are blocked in your area. I don't quite understand why that is happening. Thanks!
ReplyDelete