Comments on: 6-A-2 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/ Another excellent Edublogs.org blog Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:07:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: friendlyarachnids http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-20 friendlyarachnids Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:07:40 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-20 You're right about the unusually provincial nature of a city the size of Pittsburgh, but the burbs are changing rapidly. As American kids are meeting more students from around the world, I see their interest in other cultures increasing. The Read/Write Web offers a link to students around the globe like never before. I remember when having a "penpal" from another country was a huge event; now, the kids can communicate easily You’re right about the unusually provincial nature of a city the size of Pittsburgh, but the burbs are changing rapidly. As American kids are meeting more students from around the world, I see their interest in other cultures increasing. The Read/Write Web offers a link to students around the globe like never before. I remember when having a “penpal” from another country was a huge event; now, the kids can communicate easily

]]> By: patriciaj http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-19 patriciaj Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:39:49 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-19 Great thoughts David. Web 2.0 does get people talking! Since communication is essential to democracy, this must be a good thing. On the other hand, Deb's question on her blog asked if people would simply continue to communicate with people who think like they do. I can see both sides; however, if I have to choose, I'll pick optimism and join the internet hippies. A sixties theme would look great on our blogs! Web 2.0 does mobilize "people power." Great thoughts David. Web 2.0 does get people talking! Since communication is essential to democracy, this must be a good thing. On the other hand, Deb’s question on her blog asked if people would simply continue to communicate with people who think like they do. I can see both sides; however, if I have to choose, I’ll pick optimism and join the internet hippies. A sixties theme would look great on our blogs! Web 2.0 does mobilize “people power.”

]]> By: David Bakkila http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-17 David Bakkila Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:46:13 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-17 Lee Anne and Justin, I guess I do have to be more realistic. The forces that want to pull this world together have a lot to overcome, including indifference and self-imposed 'incompatability' with technology. I was in that category in August as a matter of fact. Just looking at the amount of effort and time people have been putting into global communication gives me the sense of a huge boulder being shouldered towards the edge of a hill though... Lee Anne and Justin, I guess I do have to be more realistic. The forces that want to pull this world together have a lot to overcome, including indifference and self-imposed ‘incompatability’ with technology. I was in that category in August as a matter of fact. Just looking at the amount of effort and time people have been putting into global communication gives me the sense of a huge boulder being shouldered towards the edge of a hill though…

]]> By: Justin A http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Justin A Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:39:01 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-16 These tools do have a lot of potential. Will the break down barriers for your students? Absolutely. Will they have a complete understanding and compassion for these people, their cultures, and countries? Maybe and maybe not, but it is well worth a try and we have to start somewhere. This reminds me of the last field trip I went on with the junior honor society. There was a student who became extremely upset when he found himself in a public restroom with a gentleman wearing a turban. Obviously his only association with a turban was terrorism. These are the types of things we can counteract with web 2.0. When it comes to politics and a “global voice” I think you are probably not far off. There is no doubt in my mind that these tools shrink the world; however, I don’t see it happening for this cause in the immediate future. There are too many valuable people out there who are afraid of the technology, don’t know how to use it, or are unsure of the ever changing ways. We may have to wait for the MySpace generation to grow up a little. These tools do have a lot of potential. Will the break down barriers for your students? Absolutely. Will they have a complete understanding and compassion for these people, their cultures, and countries? Maybe and maybe not, but it is well worth a try and we have to start somewhere. This reminds me of the last field trip I went on with the junior honor society. There was a student who became extremely upset when he found himself in a public restroom with a gentleman wearing a turban. Obviously his only association with a turban was terrorism. These are the types of things we can counteract with web 2.0. When it comes to politics and a “global voice” I think you are probably not far off. There is no doubt in my mind that these tools shrink the world; however, I don’t see it happening for this cause in the immediate future. There are too many valuable people out there who are afraid of the technology, don’t know how to use it, or are unsure of the ever changing ways. We may have to wait for the MySpace generation to grow up a little.

]]> By: David Bakkila http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-15 David Bakkila Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:21:31 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-15 PamO- These new tools are going to make the world smaller and going to connect us all. I have to believe that if the situation in Darfur was webbed to a maximum number of sites, or if a blog from the Palestinian territories gained some attention change for the better would follow. An informed constituency is a tsunami heading for a logjam of ignorance and cultivated misinformation... PamO- These new tools are going to make the world smaller and going to connect us all. I have to believe that if the situation in Darfur was webbed to a maximum number of sites, or if a blog from the Palestinian territories gained some attention change for the better would follow. An informed constituency is a tsunami heading for a logjam of ignorance and cultivated misinformation…

]]> By: Lee Anne http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Lee Anne Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:07:32 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-14 Hi David, Barriers vs connection - great topic. There is a very "grass-roots" quality to Web 2.0, don't you think? Just think how different the election is going to be this coming year now that everyone who wants a global voice can have a global voice. There's people power there, and there's a revolution going on. Web 2.0 is fueled by our need to create community. (Think Maslow's heirarchy of needs) My husband is an old time, hard core IT guy. He and his kind make fun of me and my kind - they consider us internet hippies - all peace, blogs, and wikipedia. I say, don't trust anyone with IT in their title. :-D Lee Anne Hi David,
Barriers vs connection – great topic. There is a very “grass-roots” quality to Web 2.0, don’t you think? Just think how different the election is going to be this coming year now that everyone who wants a global voice can have a global voice. There’s people power there, and there’s a revolution going on. Web 2.0 is fueled by our need to create community. (Think Maslow’s heirarchy of needs)

My husband is an old time, hard core IT guy. He and his kind make fun of me and my kind – they consider us internet hippies – all peace, blogs, and wikipedia. I say, don’t trust anyone with IT in their title. :-D

Lee Anne

]]> By: PamO http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/comment-page-1/#comment-13 PamO Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:41:18 +0000 http://davidbakki195300.edublogs.org/2007/10/24/6-a-2/#comment-13 I think you hit the target right on when you said these new Web 2.0 tools have the potential to break down the barriers. If you take a look at where I live, the southern tip of Indiana in a town of 7,000, you'll see that our students are even farther removed from exposure to other cultures. I did have a student last year from Russia and one from Mexico. If I had known then what I know now, I would have had them make Wikis about their countries and allowed them to teach our little Hoosiers! I did take every opportunity to let them share their language with each vocabulary term introduced, but there is so much these new tools could offer to a situation like this. We must be the agents of change and take advantage of learning opportunities that land in our classrooms. I think you hit the target right on when you said these new Web 2.0 tools have the potential to break down the barriers. If you take a look at where I live, the southern tip of Indiana in a town of 7,000, you’ll see that our students are even farther removed from exposure to other cultures. I did have a student last year from Russia and one from Mexico. If I had known then what I know now, I would have had them make Wikis about their countries and allowed them to teach our little Hoosiers! I did take every opportunity to let them share their language with each vocabulary term introduced, but there is so much these new tools could offer to a situation like this. We must be the agents of change and take advantage of learning opportunities that land in our classrooms.

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