Blog and Technology

In his article, Richardson (2004) shares the fact about how blog is helping with both teacher and student's work. He describes how students are using blogs to organize new information and lets it work as a digital filing cabinet. Some people say that web2.0 is only aggravating the explosion of information, yet, as we can see here web2.0 is benefitting us by supporting organization and management of knowledge.

Some people also say emerging technology is making us become passive compared to any other traditional media. However, this can also be rebutted considering the current cases how blog is used. Dominic Ouellet-Tremblay, a fifth-grade student at St-Joseph who is mentioned in Downes article (2004) writes: "the blogs motivate us to write more". These students, when they enter postsecondary education, may have more experience writing online for an audience than writing with a pen and paper for a teacher. Such students will bring with them a new set of skills and attitudes" says Downes.

The technology itself is neither evil nor good. The only thing that matters is whether we have interest in developing strategies and skills to purposefully and skillfully use technology for student's learning. If then, there is always a key to solve learning problems.

References:
Richardson, Will. (2004). Blogging and RSS — The "What's It?" and "How To" of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators (Vol. 11 No. 1 — Jan/Feb 2004). Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtmlDownes, Stephen (2004, September/October). Educational blogging, EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), 14–26. Retrieved August 27, 2006, from http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.educause.edu%2Fpub%2Fer%2Ferm04%2Ferm0450.asp%3Fbhcp%3D1&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFrqEzeF7XAcnLcES-xka4ibxsNF24qY8Q

How Wikibook Works

From Ferris and Wilder (2006) research, we recognize new ways of using Wikis in the classroom. We also learn how Wiki supports our learning. Unlike weblog, Wiki updates are subject-driven rather than time-driven. The Wiki thus becomes an area with a very specific information-sharing purpose.

At the same time, I think Wiki helps us to expand our knowledge and support us to become interdisciplinary thinkers who analytically and creatively embrace new ideas. Unlike traditional printed texts where information is accessed sequentially and as a linear whole (that is, read cover-to-cover), information in a wiki is not fixed but fluid and flexible such as other web2.0 technologies (Ferris & Wilder, 2008), we, the collaborators in Wiki are always encouraged to be prepared to communicate with diverse fields of knowledge.

Now, it's the age when we refer smart people it means not a person who simply knows a lot but who can interpret and assimilate new information quickly and easily.


Ferris, S. Pixy and Wilder, Hilary. 2006. Uses and Potentials of Wikis in the Classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=258

Mobile Learning

There has been a lot of cynicism about mobile TV and the big unanswered question has been whether people would watch it. "For us that has been answered," said Dave MacQueen, senior mobile analyst with Screen Digest. As MacQueen insists, there are increasing reports about growing demands of mobile contents and mobile devices. BBCNews even reports "In Japan and South Korea there are now 5.8m people watching TV on their mobile phones, and even more watching TV on other hand-held devices and via in-car systems."

From this phenomenon, we can easily predict that people want to do things they want without being restricted to time, place and situation. Currently this applies to people's entertaining needs but very soon people may greatly desire to access learning contents and tools more easily and more flexibly such as the current needs of mobile TV.

Some questions I would personally be interested in are: how would this mobile educational tool change student's daily lives and their classroom activities? Would teachers change their teaching methods and media when mobile becomes more prevalent devices to students in class? Would teachers ban students using mobile for learning or would they rather promote technology integration in managing classroom? Would students in the future be able to read and solve assignments through the phone when they commute? Would learning contents become more entertaining to attract mobile users?

So many questions can be unanswered yet, but I believe we will encounter the issues sometime in a near future.


Reference:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6639249.stm

Educational Blogging-How it is used and how it is changing our lives

It is always interesting to see how people use blog in a creative way to suite their own purposes. Sometimes the way people uses technology interests me more than simply the tool itself. In Downes (2004) article, he introduces how today’s teachers use the blog as a "virtual extension of a classroom"

First, teachers use blogs to replace the standard class Web page. Second, and often accompanying the first, instructors begin to link to Internet items that relate to their course. Third, blogs are used to organize in-class discussions. Fourth, some instructors are using blogs to organize class seminars and to provide summaries of readings. Finally, fifth, students may be asked to write their own blogs as part of their course grade.

From the way teachers are using blog excites me when I imagine how students can access rich educational resources so easily and even students suffering in underprivileged life can equally receive great amount of education resources as rich students in private schools.Surely, the web2.0 educational tool is transforming student's daily school life that can hopefully lead to their successful adulthood. However, as I have mentioned, more important point than the interactive, dynamic and innovative web2.0 technologies is how the user creatively and purposefully integrate the tool in learning.


References:
Downes, Stephen (2004, September/October). Educational blogging, EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), 14–26. Retrieved August 27, 2006, from http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.educause.edu%2Fpub%2Fer%2Ferm04%2Ferm0450.asp%3Fbhcp%3D1&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFrqEzeF7XAcnLcES-xka4ibxsNF24qY8Q

Living in "Cyworld"

The following part is a summary of some information I acquired in the article.

• Social motivation: South Korea has the world’s highest broadband Internet penetration rate of 73% of the total population, combined with the third largest Internet population in the world.
• South Korea is the home ground for three of the world’s ten most predominant blog hosts: Daum Planet Weblog, Yahoo Blog, and Cyworld.
• Considering that Yahoo Blog, the first of its kind launched by the Yahoo Group, alone currently accommodates over three million bloggers, surprising that
  a small country whose population exceeds just over 48 million boasts the second largest number of bloggers in the world, surpassed only by the Unites States of America
• Over 90% of South Korean Internet users in their 20s are members of Cyworld.
• South Korea, like many of its neighboring Asian countries, can be classified as a collectivist, interdependent, and high context culture. Such a culture substantially values the concept of harmony particularly within one’s cohesive and long lasting in-groups, as the self is not defined solely as an individual en-tity, but rather in relation to the significant others within one’s in-groups, such as one’s family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers.
• In the late 1990s the annual growth in the number of Internet users varied from 90% to 250%, while .kr domains flourished with a record growth of nearly 1000% at the peak of this period

Design and Features

• 1-chon Relation : In South Korean society, the term chon refers to the level of relatedness within blood-relations. For example, between a legally united couple, there is no chon (or 0-chon), while parents and children have 1-chon relation.
• This is similar to the procedure employed in MSN Messenger, in that the user can invite and/or be invited to become a 1-chon .
• 1-chon round (tour)" in English, has be-come a common practice amongst many Cyworld users, who visit 1-chons on the list one by one to leave a message in the Guestbook section
• Decorating the Mini-hompy : Cyworld users have an option to purchase decorative items for their Mini-hompies, such as skins (background images), background music, and avatars. Web portals to integrate the use of avatars by appealing to the user as possessing and processing a "visual self,"

Use and Development

• Motivation for Registration : Social motivation -long-term human network maintenance is seen as highly important in the collectivistic and interdependent Korean society. Consequently, Cyworld immediately appeals to young computer-literate Koreans
• Informational motivation: Results indicate that a digital camera was the most popular choice of additional technology amongst the participants, with an ownership rate of 60%.
  

Attitudes towards Cyword:

• Positive attitudes: the facility to enrich their existing social net-works.
• Negative Attitudes:
• 1. time-consuming task, particularly when the user maintains a large number of active 1-chons 2. experience limitations in terms of the span of their social network. Cyworld is used to facilitate the maintenance not expanding relationship. 3. Thirdly, some participants also commented on the "superficiality" of the self represented in Mini-hompy. can be viewed not necessarily as a self to be, but rather a self to share.

I am quite impressed by the author's skill of writing. Although it seems like she is not a U.S. citizen, her writing is developed in a clear and relevant way. Also it is also well-structered and flows well.

At any rate, I have gained a lot of information from the article. Although I am also a user of cy-world, I did not really pay attention why things are there, and how the features interacts with each other as an analytical way when I was playing around with the blog. What I realized from the article is that this Cyworld is a one index of how South Korean society values and how it is interested in people and relationships between them. Cyworld understands the culture of the South Korean society and also plays a role to strengthen this culture.

Cyworld is not only a social network tool but also works pretty well for South Koreans who want to keep record of their memorable experiences and want to share their pictures and their stories. I think the interesting part of Cyworld such as facebook is that it works as a record keeping tool but also serves to meet a desire when someone wants to peek in on other's life and stories as well. I truly think this emerging tool is strengthening a connection with others in many different ways for many different usages.

Choi, J. H.-j. Living in Cyworld: Contextualising Cy-Ties in South Korea. Retrieved from http://www.nicemustard.com/files/jaz_c_cyworld_ch.pdf

Using Web 2.0 in the Workplace

The blogger of http://itec830.stablestate.com/ who discusses enterprise web2.0 brings out an interesting question. While Eugene Lee mentions a way the power of blogs facilitates collaboration, the blogger doubts whether if the collaboration is really what corporate executives are anticipating and desiring. I agree with his perspective because I think companies remain cautious to a setting where employees get together, a setting where there is a possibility where coalition of labor movement may occur and where company secrets can be revealed. I think they feel easier to manage the employees when the employees are independent from each other. They rather want to encourage competition rather than collaboration because they think productivity comes from competitive nature.

I understand when the company is yet reluctant to form a free but unpredictable web space. In spite of this understanding, to reduce expenses, I assume they may have to eventually look for a alternative management strategy using web spaces. They may have to bring out some ideas how to effectively manage the blog spaces to approach a step closer to individual employees, at the same time, to effectively control the company.


additional reading: Using Web 2.0 in the WorkplaceWritten by Allen Stern - August 31, 2008
http://www.centernetworks.com/web-2-enterprise-tools

The Use of Technologies in an Online Business Program

This study reviewed an online MBA program as a representative case study to reveal usage patterns of technologies for virtual teaming activities. The article emphasizes that the simple implementation of virtual teaming activities does not guarantee the effectiveness and efficiency of the teamwork. Considering the features of online environments, which technologies are being used and how technologies can support teams in different modes should be taken into consideration.

I am resonant with what the author says that it is more important to consider how to use the technology than just implementing the technology. Especially in the online environment, assuring well-proven method and strategy of using technologies for communication, collaboration and cooperation would be a very useful action. I think as a first step at the moment is to think about the feasible technology protocols that can distribute information effectively and efficiently, store and manipulate information more securely and support communication in a more interactive and appealing way.

Lee, S. H., Magjuka, R. J., Liu, X., Bonk, C. J. (2006, June). Interactive technologies for effective collaborative learning. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. See http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jun_06/article02.htm