"The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web"

A. Gustaveson

10/14/2007

"The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web" by Will Richardson

Assignment #6 is a reaction to Richardson's article in the magazine Educational Leadership. After outlining his ideas for creative collaborative assignments, I share my thoughts on interactive Internet projects in the classroom.

Overview

In his article "The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web," Will Richardson touts the creative opportunities that abound online. He firmly believes students and teachers should take advantage of the interactive capabilities of the Internet. Teachers should redesign curriculum to foster student experiences online; students should use the Web to publish assignments and share information. While acknowledging the risks involved with student Internet use, Richardson believes the benefits fully outweigh the costs. By taking advantage of all the Web has to offer, "students and teachers can share what they have learned in meaningful, purposeful ways" with a worldwide audience (27).

Reference Points

1. Internet users no longer just consume information; they use the space to publish, collaborate, and converse.
2. Teachers and students should take advantage of publication and creation tools to enhance classroom learning: -The blog has made it easy to share ideas on a worldwide scale. Students at Hunterdon High in New Jersey have used blogs to collaborate with book authors and interact with fellow students in Poland. -Wikis are websites anyone can edit any time. This collaborative creation tool is self-policed by its users for errors. Classes have used wikis as a forum for leaving resources for future students.
   -Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology makes it easy for a consumer to keep up on hundreds of sites at once. Instead of checking numerous sites, all the information is combined into one feed that is stored until the user has time to access it. Each feed is tailored according to individual preferences. Student researchers can set up RSS feeds to receive new information about their subjects as soon as it is published.
   -Social bookmarking tools allow users to share RSS feeds of sites they have found useful.
   -Podcasts are amateur home radio programs that are accessed online. Podcasts allow students to share their assignments with online users.
3. All these tools mean students are publishing in a world "that is more transparent, interactive, and collaborative than ever before" (26). Students require a new type of literacy to deal with this world. They need to be taught to filter information and to judge a site's content and relevancy.
4. Teachers should take advantage of the technological revolution and move beyond the scope of textbooks and handouts. Use net resources to access current information and to seek content experts to guide student projects. Curriculum should be redesigned to reflect today's emphasis on technology, particularly the Internet.
5. Schools should implement privacy and safety measures if students are encouraged to publish assignments online.

Significance

I think Richardson is right on with most of his beliefs. I especially agree that students need to be taught how to evaluate a website. Many students I encounter tend to think if something is on the Internet, it must be true. We need to show our students how to be critical consumers. Richardson points out that this concept works two ways: the flip side to students questioning what they read is learning to publish responsibly. Students should strive to be as reliable in their own postings as those they seek out for research purposes. I also strongly agree that students who publish for a worldwide audience will tackle assignments with a different attitude. First, they will work harder because it won't just be the "teacher" who sees it; second, knowing their words will be contemplated by many will instill a feeling of self-worth.

I definitely see the benefit to taking advantage of networking and information possibilities online. However, I think this needs to be tempered with other types of activities, something Richardson fails to mention. If we create a curriculum that is based entirely on the Internet, students might forget there is a world beyond the computer screen. Many people today are already crying foul at the heavy presence of technology in young adults' lives. I think Richardson raises many valid points, but a wise educator would balance Internet projects with other types of classroom activities.