Safety Concerns with using Web2.0 tools

This afternoon I finished editing the second podcast in my series on Emerging Instructional Technologies. I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Tawni Ferrarini, Associate Professor of Economics, Director of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship at Northern Michigan University and chair of the National Association of Economic Education's technology committee.

Tawni raised some important issues about some of the collaborative Web2.0 tools that make documents public and accessible to anyone on the web. It is important to temper the use of these emerging tools with a thoughtful analysis of unintended consequences with documents in the public domain. If you'd like to listen to my podcast with Tawni, you can access it at: http://lalindell.podbean.com/

This has been an interesting topic of discussion in our Emerging Instructional Technologies class and it is clear that some members of the class have fewer concerns about disclosing information about themselves than others. There is a lot that has been written on this topic and ISTE has partnered with e-schools to provided educator resources at http://www.iste.org/inhouse/safe/

Other examples include this posting regarding the concerns about Web2.0 tools in the classroom at http://http//wplinfostuff.blogspot.com/2006/07/web20-wikis-ultimate-tool-for-online.html, or see Derek's posting from earlier this semester about how much information to reveal. While these concerns are on the forefront of discussion in K-12 settings, I wonder how often adults think about unintended consequences with information disclosure? ...still the digital immigrant...Lois

A Conversation with a Digital Native

This afternoon I had an interesting conversation with my niece, age 11, sixth grader in a middle school and very much a digital native. She has lots of tech toys and is very much a multitasker as I observed text messaging on the cell, IMing with friends, online games, especially webkinzs, surfing the web as well as carrying on a face-to-face conversation with me.

I got her talking about what she likes to do when she's using the computer. She's had several computer projects that she has done in school and likes her tech class again this year. They're working on editing graphics in photoshop right now for a calendar project.

I told her that I was taking a class on emerging instructional technologies and that I been writing in a blog regularly, writing in a wiki, produced a podcast and had an avatar in Second Life. Her reaction was one of great surprise -- you know how to do that?! she remarked with this look of disbelief on her face. Yes - why are you so surprised I asked? Because you're old Aunt Lois!

I did find out that You Tube "rocks" and again she was surprised that I knew about it. The conversation this afternoon got me thinking about the article I read by Chris Dede from Educause on neoMillennials and their learning styles. My niece has grown up with tech toys in all varities, shapes, and sizes. She is easily bored by more traditional classroom activities -- ie sit and read a paper text or fill out a paper worksheet, but is excited about using multiple forms of technology and media.

To read more about Dede's work on the changing learning styles, see http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0511.pdf So as I think about this conversation I wonder what those challenges will be when this neo-millennial group ends up in the college classroom -- which will be in another seven years!

Still the digital immigrant...Lois