I think it is very interesting to read the wiki and compare with the stories found in some other “news” sites.

And yes, I tend to trust kids to make sense of the world. Their skepticism may be more acute than ours and they are at ease with the technology. In 2001, my 11-12 year-old daughter was chatting with friends using AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) when someone told her (online) that the popular singer, Aaliyah, had been killed in a Bahamian plane crash. I remember my kid telling me that her first reaction was to search credible news sites to make sure that the “news” was true. She apparently had prior experience with online rumors.

Yvonne was a 6th grader making sense of fact, fiction and propaganda in an online world before 9/11. Many of today’s edtech experts and the majority of American teachers were not even using the Internet at that point in our recent history, but my daughter was. I do not worry too much about the need to teach kids information literacy.

As for expertise…

There is a tendency in the euphoric rhetoric regarding blogging to promote a utopian form of egalitarianism in which everyone’s opinion is equal and everyone’s expertise is equivalent. There is an undermining of tradition regarding the development of expertise or of “paying dues.”

Oddly, in such a scenario people are granted superior qualifications merely because they blog, as compared to those who don’t. How else can you explain the rationale for “edubloggers” going from obscurity to keynoting conferences overnight? (I’m not talking about you, Will. In case you were wondering.)

In a funny way, blogging is “popular” culture in all of its best and most vulgar forms. Based on talent, qualifications or potential contribution to culture Rhianna is not in the same league as John Coltrane, Igor Stravinsky or Sarah Vaughan. However, given the temporal nature of pop culture and the exalted status of popularity, Rhianna commands a level of attention and reward more people with more significant talent can never dream of.

If Sarah Palin’s nomination is reality television, so are significant aspects of the blogosphere. After all we’re now currently tuned-in to the Will Richardson show.

The larger question is who says we have to accept amateur or non-expertise expertise?

Does anyone see parallels between the nomination of Sarah Palin and the radical democratization of the blogosphere?

Isn’t this the logical consequence of the cult of the amateur and the relativism of expertise alluded to in the world of PLNs?

Teachable moments require teachers with the courage and curiosity to teach, especially today.

In September 2000, I attended Back-to-School-Night (for my annual blood pressure escalation ritual). My son was in 11th grade and loved History. The History teacher described how she has to “cover” Civil War to present day, but only after reviewing all of human history before that.

I raised my hand and asked, “Do you do anything to connect your subject to the real world?” She replied, “I’m not sure what you mean.” I took a deep breath and said, “Well, we have a big election coming up. Perhaps you could study that with the kids.”

The teacher replied, “They do elections next year.” Remember that this was September TWO THOUSAND. That election offered a teachable moment or two, but not in my kid’s high school where a nuclear blast next door would not interrupt the curriculum and where history teachers don’t read the newspaper.

When Joe Biden, a hero of mine since the Reagan administration, was nominated to be Vice President, I dug into my archives and showed my kids a letter I have from Senator Biden, dated 1990. I had written to the Senator (and his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee) urging him to vote against the confirmation of Judge David Souter to the Supreme Court.

I’m rambling about this because in 1990 I was reprimanded to taking time during the school days for my class of 4th graders to watch the Senate Confirmation Hearings for Justice Souter. If history or citizenship were not significant justification, I thought that 4th graders would benefit from smart people speaking well and debating in a civil fashion.

None of this is a wholesale indictment of teachers, but a plea for them to take back their profession and make teaching relevant to the world of the students they serve.

An interesting look at the way we try manipulate the information about ourselves and where people go to find it. To what degree is Wikipedia transparent and how does that shape what versions you believe?

Great discussion points for kids and adults alike.

jim

One big lesson that our Kids Press Corps is learning is one that I think many adults also need to pay closer attention to: what’s the difference between a reporter and a pundit/commentator? We’ve been teaching them that while reporters can (and should!) have their own opinions, it’s not their job to share them but rather to report what they’ve learned.

btw, Kid Reporters have been blogging and now Twittering from both conventions (www.twitter.com/scholasticnews). Teach on!

Sure, everyone having a voice makes things more complex. But would we rather go back to the days when only the big institutions had a viable voice? I wouldn’t…

http://snipurl.com/3lyx7

One of my colleagues here at Iowa State U said, “We finally got our global village and everyone’s an idiot.” I’m not buying it. Democracy is a raucous, rough-and-tumble affair. I’m glad that folks are wading in with both feet and both fists, even when I vigorously disagree with them. Now, let’s all go out and teach our kids how to navigate the new landscape (like you are)!