Web 2.0

Web 2.0

I realize we didn't have a chance to post our first blogs in class on 2/1, but I thought our discussion was such a lively one that I felt inspired to add a few additional (personal) thoughts about the topic of Web 2.0. Will Richardson likens the potential Web 2.0 poses for a digital change in the course of human evolution as similar in magnitude "to the development of the printing press and the development of writing itself." I remember thinking to myself as I read this, I only hope that doesn't mean Perez Hilton's rumor mongering will become a 21st Century Gutenberg Bible, and TMZ our new Plato's Academy.

I, too, like many in class have concerns about the social-emotional aspect of child development, and whether or not a digital community can truly facilitate this kind of learning. I think so many people in class made really good points about, for example, all that is "lost in translation" with electronic text, and the absence of facial expressions, mannerisms, and body language. It seems to me that picking up on and reading accurately these "social cues" is a crucial skill children must develop if they are to learn how to interact appropriately and productively. I think this subject becomes even more poignant when you consider the fact that there is a great deal of current research suggesting a person's social-emotional IQ is a far more accurate indicator of success in life than one's intellectual IQ.

Also relevant, then, becomes the question of learning styles--which can be accommodated electronically and which can not. Using Gardner's categories of multiple intelligences, it seems to me those Interpersonal learners who thrive in the area of social interaction with others may encounter some general malaise and ennui in a digital classroom. I also worry about those Naturalistic learners who long to nurture and relate information to the natural environment. As an English teacher who loves the Romantic period, this pains me. And, of course, there are those Bodily-Kinesthetic types, who I can't help but believe will suffer in an electronic world.

All this being said, I think Jeffrey Hines' point (I hope I have your last name correct) becomes all-the-more important: that an electronic revolution is inevitable at this point. It took me a while (longer than most) to accept this reality. Now I am of the opinion that the sooner we, as educators, come to terms with this, the sooner we can get down to the business of trying to make this transformation a positive one, rather than sit idly by and watch helplessly the dumbing-down of a generation.

Lastly, I found Richardson's quote, "In my 18 years in the classroom, I can say that only one time do I ever remember having a class of students where the majority was truly passionate about the subject we were studying," both tragic and lamentable. Perhaps it is the setting in which I am fortunate enough to work, or perhaps it is because I choose to look hard enough to identify it, but I find that my students are truly passionate almost every single day. They may, at times, just need some help in expressing it.

Jeff Kulick