The Pew Internet and America Life Project conducted a thorough survey of bloggers, what topics they blog on, what demographics blogs (age, race, socioeconomics, DSL/dial-up), what motivates them to blog, how often they blog and more. This information was then crossed with other behaviors such as where they get their news from, what politic party they were, the validation of their sources and so forth.
Some bloggers blog for personal use, some for creative outlet, some for politic reasons, and some to communicate with family and friends.
The most compelling part of this article for me was the political and journalistic motivations of bloggers. In this new world of independent news sources and where "everyone is a journalist", it is interesting to peek into the minds and methods of these conveyers of information. The idea of having a more (non-corporate and non-mainstream) media source and something more (as the article puts it) democratized is a healthy thing for society that I certainly support. So it was interesting (and perhaps not surprising) to find out whether they actually verify information, cite sources, quote people directly and so forth. The numbers of whether they do act "journalistically" seem to be split down the middle...but one must bear in mind that these are SELF-reports and most will err on the side of self-protection and flattery. (But i don't know how much of this is conducted in the "real" media either).
One other thing that stuck out was a racial issue. Hispanic people tended to blog almost twice as much as their general Internet population. This is a very compelling statistic! Why is this? Blogs are used for sharing your voice, blogs are used for community building/sharing, for politic reasons, etc. Why would Hispanics make more of a showing than any other ethinicity in the blogosphere?
One survey I would like to read about is "Where do Blog readers go?" I don't read blogs, don't have time, and don't always know where to look...this information, to me, is more elusive.
BTW: Here I am practicing putting in a video. It has the lion hunt that I shared with the class on the first day...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Learning for the 21st Century
The author begins with a thoughtful analysis of what changes are needed in education, and why change is needed; however, this article continued to leave me wanting more.
Many of the statements and suggestions the author made seemed hollow and derivative without really presenting any new ideas. The article seemed to be written by someone who was an expert in the field of education, but not necessarily knowledgeable of the leading edges of emerging technologies, particularly with regard to education. In fact, it actually seemed as if were written much before the advent of Web 2.0 since no specific or tangible technologies were mentioned (he mentions "spreadsheets" and "the internet"). Much of the direction he proposes for the future of education can be said for any generation (eg, time management, decision making and diversity). None of these seem to be new ideas. His ideas for "21st Century skills" did not seem very unique to the 21st Century ("computer-based assessments" and "digital scoring systems"), nor did he present convincing ideas of what these new skills were. Btw, it was not clear as to when the article was written (post 2002).
The article does, however have merit as a baseline prescription for education and proper learning. Most of it founded on textbook learning approaches such as the focusing on core subjects (using No Child Left Behind as part of his model). In theory, this is a sound approach, but the article's theme was regarding learning for the future, for the 21st Century, therefore, much of the ideas felt unresolved and partially uninformed.
One bright spot in the article was the author's discussion of how instructors should approach learning in the 21st Century. The idea of collaboration and the need for students to interact with the outside was emphasized. He recommends that teachers reach out to the community, both locally and globally as a means for education and exposure. Another key point was to use technology to "make it possible to change the dynamic between students and teachers, allowing students to pursue topics in depth and, at times, become experts in charge of their own learning." Although this was a great idea, he does not propose what technologies could be used for such a project (Wikis? Blogs?)...
Although much analysis and thought went into the article, it is far from definitive in terms of using it as a blueprint for what we, as educators, should use as playbook for the future.
Many of the statements and suggestions the author made seemed hollow and derivative without really presenting any new ideas. The article seemed to be written by someone who was an expert in the field of education, but not necessarily knowledgeable of the leading edges of emerging technologies, particularly with regard to education. In fact, it actually seemed as if were written much before the advent of Web 2.0 since no specific or tangible technologies were mentioned (he mentions "spreadsheets" and "the internet"). Much of the direction he proposes for the future of education can be said for any generation (eg, time management, decision making and diversity). None of these seem to be new ideas. His ideas for "21st Century skills" did not seem very unique to the 21st Century ("computer-based assessments" and "digital scoring systems"), nor did he present convincing ideas of what these new skills were. Btw, it was not clear as to when the article was written (post 2002).
The article does, however have merit as a baseline prescription for education and proper learning. Most of it founded on textbook learning approaches such as the focusing on core subjects (using No Child Left Behind as part of his model). In theory, this is a sound approach, but the article's theme was regarding learning for the future, for the 21st Century, therefore, much of the ideas felt unresolved and partially uninformed.
One bright spot in the article was the author's discussion of how instructors should approach learning in the 21st Century. The idea of collaboration and the need for students to interact with the outside was emphasized. He recommends that teachers reach out to the community, both locally and globally as a means for education and exposure. Another key point was to use technology to "make it possible to change the dynamic between students and teachers, allowing students to pursue topics in depth and, at times, become experts in charge of their own learning." Although this was a great idea, he does not propose what technologies could be used for such a project (Wikis? Blogs?)...
Although much analysis and thought went into the article, it is far from definitive in terms of using it as a blueprint for what we, as educators, should use as playbook for the future.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Web 2.0 Thoughts
What is Web 2.0? (Is Web 3.0 here yet and what will it look like?)
It, among other things, is the bridging of community via collaboration and interactivity through the internet and related technologies. Much of it is about socializing and entertainment (MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, etc.), but it can also find its way professionally with tools such as Google Spreadsheets/Docs (collaboration) and professional networking sites like LinkedIn and Ryze.
Due to the interactivity and cost-effectiveness, Web 2.0 is increasingly found in Education and Instructional design. YouTube has its own "How-to" section, Podcasts are everywhere for learning software to learning languages, to how to brew your own beer!
All of these elements are about community, collaboration and interactivity. And best of all, anyone can do it and become an instant celebrity, journalist, film director, comedian, educator and more!
I just read a review of this book, btw, another take on the Web 2.0 world!
The Cult of the Amateur: How blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and the rest of today's user-generated media are destroying our economy, our culture, and our values
Can't wait to see 3.0 in effect (or are we already?)...
It, among other things, is the bridging of community via collaboration and interactivity through the internet and related technologies. Much of it is about socializing and entertainment (MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, etc.), but it can also find its way professionally with tools such as Google Spreadsheets/Docs (collaboration) and professional networking sites like LinkedIn and Ryze.
Due to the interactivity and cost-effectiveness, Web 2.0 is increasingly found in Education and Instructional design. YouTube has its own "How-to" section, Podcasts are everywhere for learning software to learning languages, to how to brew your own beer!
All of these elements are about community, collaboration and interactivity. And best of all, anyone can do it and become an instant celebrity, journalist, film director, comedian, educator and more!
I just read a review of this book, btw, another take on the Web 2.0 world!
The Cult of the Amateur: How blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and the rest of today's user-generated media are destroying our economy, our culture, and our values
Can't wait to see 3.0 in effect (or are we already?)...
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