3rd and 4th Week

Web 2.0, Lifelong Learning, and Second Life

Our third week included a discussion on Web 2.0. I believe as a group the consensus was that Web 2.0 is still Web 1.0, but now, the main difference is the involvement of the user. Instead of just learning how to use its applications (blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc.), people are actually creating with the applications. Its fun seeing all of the different points of view concerning technology and its uses, but I think we all have agreed that technology does not make the student. The student still must apply themselves. The technology is only a tool that can enhance and facilitate that process. The other discussion topic was Lifelong Learning. I thought it was a good contrast to the Web 2.0. I don’t believe, at least, I don’t want to believe that we are here in this class pursuing a master’s degree because it involves some pretty cool technology applications. I would like to think we are here because we are lifelong learners. This was a good discussion topic because it allowed us to give our views of what lifelong learning meant. As a group, we had slightly varied views on how it is achieved, but I think all of us agreed it was essential. In order to stay up with the faltering job market, it has become a part of life.

During the fourth week, we visited a world I didn’t even really know existed until a few months ago. The virtual world in Second Life was an interesting experience. My name in Second Life is daryl Baily, and my gender is still male. But, my age, hair, and body style are things from the past. It is kind of a neat environment, but I can tell that I’m going to require some practice. Also, many of the commands for performing body movements are set-up for PCs, but if you use an Apple, you can perform many of the same movements by first clicking open apple. It was a fun first visit. I was able to walk, run, speak, fly, and sit by the time I left which was a little over an hour. I can see where the initial process of getting used to the environment will take some time, but after the basics are mastered, it would be less time consuming. It was weird how fast the time went while in the virtual world. I can see how kids get so enamored with their video games. I am planning on researching more of its applications to see what if anything can or should be used within a high school setting. The down side to this technology application was very evident in my first visit. We only had 3 students and the professor in attendance, and I am assuming that was because of the computer graphics requirements associated with application. Really, the only way I was in attendance was because I used a different computer than my own, but as the software gets updated and the computers produced get stronger, the virtual world will become more compatible. I also think it will become a more frequently used application which will cause its creators to make it a more user friendly environment.

Don Bates