Comments on: What to Do With the Web

By: Ethan Fahy

Ethan Fahy — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:26:27 +0000

Thanks so much for posting this article. I completely agree with you when you alluded to that fact that this article must have an agenda because it is far from any means of objectivity. I do agree with some of the issues they bring up and the internet, as with most new technologies, presents many dangers and unknowns. However, I think that educators do themselves and the students a disservice if we “pull the plug” on the internet and its infinite possibilities. It is the educators’ job to educate and inform their students of the many different ways to learn and use the internet as a resource for all subject matters. There always needs to be a degree of caution when engaging students in a project or assignment that uses technology such as the internet because many factors such as plagiarism and credible sources can become issues. However, by discussing these concepts and informing the students about them, educators can use these moments as an opportunity to teach and educate the students rather than keeping them in the dark. As the original poster stated, I also believe that the most troubling aspect of this article is that it does not offer any solutions or opinions from those who might disagree with this. It always reminds me of politicians who stand on their soap box and bash everyone else’s opinions on how they feel it is best to solve a problem, but then the politicians themselves never offer an alternate solution.

By: Hadia

Hadia — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:34:49 +0000

I do believe that the web has its own drawbacks, but does this mean that turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all its other benefits?! Of course not! I can’t but agree with the fact that we need to make the best out of the web and at the same time empower our students or kids with the necessary “skills” to make them differentiate between the two edges of the web. Sadly, many schools in the developed and the developing countries are still struggling with introducing technology into the classroom and make it an integral part of the curriculum, so how about teaching kids these skills to “maintain a healthy relationship with the Web”? It’s worth the try any way.

By: free online kids games

free online kids games — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:09:34 +0000

Awesome break down. Thanks for posting this. You mind sharing some ideas on what we could work with with the current resource we have at hand?

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:42:52 +0000

Alan summed up my argument well.

From a postmodernist perspective, it really seems like the ruling class is worried their stranglehold on our youth is slipping. Quick access to information? Polarized political views? Heaven forbid our children are resourceful and opinionated….

By: Ernie

Ernie — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:05:24 +0000

The current issue of Knowledge Quest (the journal of the American Association of School Librarians) is dedicated to “The Future of Authority”. My contribution to this issue is entitled “Assessing Student Evaluation of Resources:Approximation of Expertise”. I share my experiences working with 4th graders doing web research and explain how authority in their inquiry project is very contextual. Evolving resource types and formats call for flexible ways of understanding and assessing authority. Many of my students found information about their sports figure on blogs. What to do when a teacher has never read a blog? Their idea of authorship collides with students emerging ideas.

The entire issue is full of good writing on the topic. Unfortunately the journal does not have a great web presence and the digital version is embargoed. If you would like a copy of my article please let me know ernest dot cox at gmail dot com. For the entire issue see your local school librarian.

By: Sean Nash

Sean Nash — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:49:32 +0000

This.

By: mike mundy

mike mundy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:06:41 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. Students need skills and these skills are now dealing with interacting with the web. But skills are still skills, requiring a scope and a sequence for intelligent instruction. The web becomes a tool whereby we can teach in a richer fashion, a more interactive fashion. The web enhances our instruction yet in no way replaces it.

By: Alex Pearson

Alex Pearson — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:15:44 +0000

Authorship, authenticity and authority have to be signaled in new ways. Do you trust the social studies textbooks that are now being approved by the Texas schoolboard? Not everyone does. And yet, because they are in print, and bound between two stiff pieces of cardboard, and have all the proper imprimaturs, they are seen as authoritative. Will Richardson is a known factor. I’ve met him in person, heard him speak, and read his book, which has a real live ISBN and can be found on Amazon in print or in kindle version. That’s enough evidence for me to believe in the authenticity of this blog and the authority of its author.

By: What’s Wrong With The World Today? | Ignite BPS

What’s Wrong With The World Today? | Ignite BPS — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:50:01 +0000

[...] Related Resource: http://weblogg-ed.com/2010/what-to-do-with-the-web/ [...]

By: Mike Bammer

Mike Bammer — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:09:44 +0000

We could all bury our heads in the sand or say that this is a fad that fade away. Fact of the matter is that the web and its technology will be here until the something else comes along. The negative notes could be applied to almost any new thing from TV to Rock & Roll. Anyone that has ever put together a PowerPoint presentation or a webpages knows that that takes time, creativity, logical thinking, etc. Yeah a kid can get into trouble on the web, but they can just as easily get into trouble without the web. Look to the positives, this is the world those kids will be living in.

By: Paul Monheimer

Paul Monheimer — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:45:21 +0000

Discussion of these issues among teachers is always good. My opinion of what to “do” about it (the last part of Will’s initial post) is that many schools used to teach “study skills.” We taught kids how to research, organize their assignments, cite resources, proper form for so many different types of writing, etc. Our discussion should focus on “Study Skills” students need in the Web world. And yes, those skills should be taught, retaught, and taught yet again as students go through school. The fact that Citation Machine and Easybib are available doesn’t mean that students know instinctively how or why they need to use them. Educators need to do what we have always done….teach explicit skills in a scope and sequence.

By: Jason Stein

Jason Stein — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:22:35 +0000

we no longer value what we once did. I think that is a good thing.. A fine example of the attitude that the author of the article is complaining about. The tone of your comment only serves to further the divide on the issue. When a person expounds their opinion and your rebuttal is to call them laze constructive dialogue will not be achieved. Devaluing old ways of doing things does not make the new necessarily good. Is humanity better off not knowing how the Pyramids were created? Are we better off because Stone Henge is mysterious and impossible? Will we be better off when society forgets how to grow food (most urban students have very little idea about where food comes from)? The losses of old ways of thinking are changing the nature of how we learn, but there is much of value being lost in the change. Calling people who feel this way lazy is a position of intellectual ignorance.

By: Alex Reid

Alex Reid — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:55:17 +0000

Will, I think this post answers the question you asked in your last post about the problems institutions seek to preserve. We might as well ask how social media will help us appease the gods. Concepts such as thought, creativity, ideology, labor, communication, community, etc. are obviously not natural; they are products of the cultural-technological-material assemblages in which we participate. Before the 18th century, most of the concepts that you list didn’t exist in any form close to how we commonly think of them. Most of the institutions that distribute these critical messages–public schools, newspapers, publishers–are products of that period as well.

So while, undoubtedly, people will go on complaining and/or trying to solve these problems. I would suggest that ultimately, like appeasing the gods, we won’t think of them as problems anymore. Instead we will have new problems and new institutions.

Perhaps the better strategy is to name the new problems.

By: Keith Nemlich

Keith Nemlich — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:07:10 +0000

Thank you, Alan, you nailed many of my own thoughts…..you plagerist. I just want to add that the concept of ownership and attribution are, in an historical perspective, relatively modern concepts. We need to cut ourselves some slack if we haven’t ironed it all out in these last ten years or so.
As for the impact upon education, it is a whole new ballgame and we are still dubbing around in the winter league. We must emphasize processes and skills over content at nearly every grade level. As a child, I collected information. As an adult in 2010, I must analyze information….and so must our students.
As for the larger picture, the internet gives us the potential to democratize our world. This is really the challenge that we face.

By: Blog Post #2 | teach me

Blog Post #2 | teach me — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:46:19 +0000

[...] the importance of paring down one’s feeds. But, I think I’m going to add it again. In the“What to Do With the Web” post, he reviews and critiques a really provocative, lengthy article in the New York Times( [...]