Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/Using Us

The title of the video that you were asked to view this week is "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/Using Us." Referencing what you have learned about Web 2.0 through the readings in the Courtney text and through watching the video, why do you think that Professor Wesch gave this title to the video?
The Machine is Us / Using Us.
Professor Wesch gave the video this title because he wanted to reflect upon the evolution of technology and its future implications. In the past innovators of technology brought about the first desktop computer. The desktop computer was said to do many amazing things faster than a human. I am reminded of the early inventions of the computer created by Charles Babbage that spanned the length on a room. Computers were praised because they had the capability to the many functions. However, the key word here is the “capability”. The computer was built for the capability to perform many functions. However, in the past researched suggested that computers would only be as smart as the user. If the user programmed the computer to perform various functions, then it would. If the user did not have the knowledge to program the computer, then the computer would not be reaching its fullest potential. So essentially we are the machines because the more creative we became the more innovations with computers were developed.  The advancements in technology have brought us to a point where technology is teaching us new concepts and ideas. There are many technologies that aid in student learning. I would have to say that the relationship between machines and us is cyclical. Machines are teaching us and then later in the future we are teaching machines to become more evolved. The internet is allowing the user to learn from each other from all over the world. Through the use of wikis users can edit the information to revise the data. However, this means that educational institutions should be teaching the students how to evaluate the effectiveness of what is read online.

Handheld Devices Blog

Your technology director has given you a budget of $10,000 for the purchase of handheld devices in your library. Using the prices in Chapter 5 of Courtney as a general guideline, what would you purchase and why? Your grade for this blog entry will be based on your justifications for what you purchase and your creative ideas for how to use the handhelds in the library, whether by students, faculty, and/or staff.

Using the 10000 dollar budget, I would purchase Palm TX Handheld PDA from the online vendor Best EZ online store.com. Each PDA is valued at 339 but taking taxes/shipping into consideration I would value the PDA at 370. I would purchase 27 Palm TX Handheld PDA for my library (media center). I would divide the PDA’s for student research and for teacher professional development. As the school librarian or media specialist I see my role as not only assisting student’s access information, but also assisting teacher how to utilize technology so that they too can access information and implement technology into the classroom. 15 of the Palm TX PDA’s will be used to conduct professional development of teachers. The teachers could use these portable devices to log on to PD360 an online professional development network for teachers. The students will have 12 Palm TX PDA at their disposal to conduct research, to listen to book talks, blog about book talks, and view pod casts. The important thing about these portable devices is that the student can take the PDA and listen a book talk to her another student review of the book. The students will also be able to read what other students blogged about the books. These PDA’s will be reinforcing reading, writing, and listening skills for English language learners. I would have the students download the program Graffiti 2 to the Palm TX PDA. Using the Graffiti 2 handwriting recognition is included for data input on the handheld. The dynamic input area can also be used as an onscreen keyboard and you can also write Graffiti anywhere on the screen.

Joseph Rodriguez