A1.4: “What It All Means”

Deidra Darst
8/25/07

Richardson, W. (2006). What it all means. In J. Barbakow, E. Meidenbauer, J. Ward (Eds.), Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

TAP: The topic of this chapter in Richardson’s text is the impact that new technologies and potential pedagogical alterations will have on education. He attempts to explain the statement made in the chapter’s title, “What It All Means.” Teachers and students who stand to be affected by implications caused by new technologies are the targeted audience of the text. The purpose of this chapter is to inform readers of their responsibilities to use their information literacy skills to contribute the the Read/Write Web. Richardson writes of the changes that must take place within classroom environments and instructional techniques in order to efficaciously use the tools provided by the Internet.

Claim: Richardson claims that Web Tools can aid students, as well as teachers, in the learning process. With their implementation in education programs, information is more readily available, more widely available, learning becomes a collaborative, active process and new literacies can be mastered.

Evidence: Richardson supports his claim by explaining the benefits of using Web Tools for classroom uses. Prior to the widespread use of the Internet, teaching consisted of textbooks, teacher lectures and administration of tests. The Internet and the numerous possibilities that it provides has allowed the classroom to evolve. Students can now be active in the learning process: publishing weblogs, using search engines to research new topics or even working collaboratively with a classmate on an interactive web-based project. With information literally accessible with the click of a mouse, students and teachers alike can easily find new information. The learning process becomes a collaborative process when new technologies are employed. Online discussion panels provide a means of interaction for those who are interested in learning about a specific topic. For example, Richardson explains that teachers can, through the Internet, communicate with experts within their field and ask them to participate in a class discussion. Who better to explain theoretical physics than Stephen Hawking? While it might be difficult to ask him to physically visit the classroom, the teacher could find one of his lectures online and present it to her class. Through the use of Web Tools, students can develop information literacy. By accessing the Internet, collecting reliable data and understanding how to use it, the student acts as the medium through which the information must pass.

Connections: This article mentioned some of the ideas that I wrote in my last weblog entry. By making my work available to members of the general public, I could possibly be teaching them something new. This is one major benefit of using Web Tools – the roles of teacher and student are interchangeable due to the collaborative means through which communication and learning occur. In one of my earlier postings I mentioned my apprehension towards not having hard-copies of my work. Richardson also writes of a “digital notebook” of sorts. Publishing material online negates the need to have paper copies of your work. In this section of the chapter, he mentioned the organization that is entailed in the use of weblogs – I found this comforting. In contemplating the necessary changes to educational programs, I realize that many of my college classes are attempting to make these changes. For example, most of my textbooks are accompanied by CD-Rom and/or Internet Access codes. These materials are intended to be supplementary learning tools, and this is “a step in the right direction.”

Richardson’s text makes a note of the change in learning styles when Web Tools are implemented, as did the previous texts I read. Anyone can publish anything due to the accessibility and freedom of the Internet. This calls for readers of online material to be wary; just because it is published online does not mean you should assume that it is factual. Information literacy is important here because an information literate person knows that information should be questioned and not taken as unquestionable truth. This chapter also highlighted the importance of social skills in the realm of information literacy. Web Tool users must possess the appropriate skills to effectively navigate through the digital world, which was also noted by Eshet’s article entitled, “Experiments in Digital Literacy.”

Richardson writes of the importance of collaboration in the era of the Read/Write Web. I will undoubtedly be called upon to work with others during my career as a speech-language pathologist. I will need to have the technical and social skills to do so. This article, like the five previous articles, states that changes must be made within learning environments to include new technology. This text goes on to state that it is my, your and everyone else’s responsibility to enact these changes in order to improve our current educational programs.