New Era in Media: Blogs, Wikis, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking - Essay Example

Introduction A television program recently had a comedic skit where the internet went out in a home and the residents had to resort to a box-labeled ‘pre-internet’ – inside the box were a rubber duck, a barbell, and a fake plastic tree. While most of us recognize that there was a lot more going on in pre-internet times than a box full of trinkets, the absurdity of the skit draws ones attention to the fact that one of the great divides of culture, arguably on the scale of the Protestant Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, or even the Renaissance, is the contemporary occurrence of what has been deemed the Digital Age. Having died in 1980 Marshall McLuhan had only glimpsed its genesis when he proclaimed, “In this electronic age we see ourselves being translated more and more into the form of information, moving toward the technological extension of consciousness (McLuhan 1967).” This essay examines the relevancy of Web 2.0 software, specifically blogs, wikis, social networking, and social bookmarking tools, and considers aspects of professional learning communities and the potential of online collaboration. Professional Learning Communities With the explosion of Web 2.0 software and the use of social networking sites (SNS), it was certain that professional environments would begin to incorporate the technology. While previous conceptions of computer-mediated communication – video gaming, Facebook use, YouTube – have been characterized as detrimental, the technology is now being reconsidered for its functional value. Many varied corporations have implemented collaborative technology, including Google whose employees hold daily meetings with associates spread throughout the world. One of the most widespread uses of collaborative technology has occurred in education environments. Indeed, certain researchers even argue that this technology is expanding the very nature of classroom room outside of institutional walls. (Carchiolo, Longheu, & Malgeri 2002). It is clear that success in 21st century education for teachers and students alike will hinge on the successful implementation and use of technology. In a 1995 testimony to Congress, Professor Chris Dede stated, “The global marketplace and the communications and entertainment industries are driving the rapid evolution of high performance computing and communications.” (Dede, 1995, Web) Part blog, part, wiki, part social bookmarking tool, a prominent use of social networking software in the classroom has occurred with the online application Ning. Launched in October 2005, the platform functions to allow users to create their own social network. (blog.ning.com) Ning is differentiated from other SNS software as the networks are grouped around a common interest, making Ning particularly applicable for educational purposes, however the software has been implemented in a number of professional environments. Ning offers professionals the option of making the created network opened or closed, and allows participants to post pictures, and videos with very little technical complications. While other SNS software, such as Facebook and Myspace, have been increasingly viewed by educators are the private domain of students’, Ning offers teachers a means of co-opting the popularity of these platforms for the use of shared education. The possible use of Ning is many-varied, but one can consider the functional benefits of allowing students to debate and share information through computer mediated communication: students may be more willing to express ideas, and through the use of videos, links, or photos, they are now able to do so in more comprehensive and creative ways. Indeed, one political science professor had his students develop individual Ning networks based on community action issues that were pertinent to classroom discussions, such as proposed tax increased to fund new firehouses in the community; a number of these networks proved to be highly successful as a broad network of community members, including a group of firefighters, joined to discuss the relative merits of such actions. (net.educase.edu) There are a number of challenges in implementing such collaborative mechanisms in the professional environment. One of the concerns is that employees or students will implement the network as a social tool, just as they implement Facebook. In these instances, it’s necessary for supervisors to develop clearly defined expectations for participation and even consider a rubric that outlines necessary and appropriate participation. Wikis, Blogs, & Social Networking The Web 2.0 software has not only changed humanity’s access to information, it has fundamentally altered how we view ourselves and how we think. The globalizing effect of the Digital Age has now made it possible to chat online with a student from Seoul, Korea in the morning, read a Hollywood gossip blog for lunch, and then access Wiki information to fix your sink in the evening. It’s now strikingly evident that the World Wide Web is not only uniting the world in ways humanity never envisioned, but -- through what writers Mathew Fraser and Soumitra Dutta have deemed the ‘democratization of the self’ -- are altering communal knowledge. As it would previously have required laborious library visits and searches, the ability of Wikis to allow one to research diverse subjects such as Chinese history, or French-Algerian relations in a matter of moments is an empowering process. Once strictly the domain of academic and intellectual elite, the previous two decades have experienced a rapid redistribution of information and cultural understanding that has altered our very foundational assumptions of what constitutes knowledge. Today blogs and bloggers have become one of the primary means by which people access information. Web 2.0 has the potential to unbound individuals from boundaries that have divided the world and unite humanity through a new means of interaction. No longer must humanity be restricted to color barriers; no longer does living in a small town mean you have a ‘small town’ mentality. Now we can reach out and connect based on shared interests and knowledge, rather than race and wealth. I believe that is the meaning of the World Wide Web – an electronic web of knowledge, community, and understanding that has changed the world. Not all view the Web 2.0 software as such a life-altering force. Indeed, a number of researchers understand the influence of global digital culture in conservative ways. “Not quite a broken promise, the notion of cyberspace as an emancipatory sphere has been updated by many scholars to reflect the fact that by changing the way we do things, we do not necessarily change the things we do (Wilson & Peterson 2002, as cited in Cook, 2004, p. 105),” states a recent article in this important sounding journal. Indeed, a number of teachers and citizens decry the deleterious intrusion of the internet on our daily social relations, and doubt the validity of information in sites such as Wikipedia – going as far as to outlaw its use in academic settings. It’s necessary to understand that the internet does and will continue to have a far reaching effect on the world. In 1805, as explorers Lewis and Clarke reached explored the state of Oregon in the New World, they came upon a site and journaled, "Ocean in view! O! The Joy! (Ocean, Web)." It’s over two hundred years since these explorers reached the Pacific and humanity has now embarked on a new journey. It’s necessary for students and youth -- as the primary beneficiaries of these technological advances, as well the unassuming leaders of this journey into the unknown – to ensure that these far-reaching effects are as beneficial as they have the potential to be. References ‘7 Things you Should Know About…Ning’ (2008) http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7036.pdf, Feb. 4th, 2010 Carchiolo, V., Longheu, A., & Malgeri, M. (2002). Adaptive formative paths in a Web-based learning environment. Educational Technology & Society, 5 (4), 64-75. Cook, Susan E. ‘New technologies and language change: toward an anthropology of linguistic frontiers’. Annual review of anthropology 103-115, Vol 33, 2004 Dede, Chris. (1995) ‘Testimony to the US Congress, House of Representatives Joint Hearing on Educational Technology in the 21st Century’ Committee on Science and Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities October 12, 1995 Fraser, Mathew., Dutta Soumitra (2008) Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World. Wiley McLuhan, Marshall (1967). ‘Marshall McLuhan interview 1967’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEC_HqWlBY Ocean in view…O Joy O Joy! Lewis and Clarke Reach the Pacific Ocean http://www.oceaninview.com/, retrieved Feb. 12, 2010 Read More