Journal #2

“Breathing Fire into Web 2.0”
By Justin Hardman and David Carpenter

Summary of article:
In this article, Hardman and Carpenter discuss schools lacking good communication between its teachers and its students. Technology has been presented as an answer to better communication and aid collaboration between administrators, teachers, students, and parents. A web tool called myDragonNet was developed by the Hong Kong International Schools (HKIS) in order to incorporate the needs of administrators, teachers, and students in a universal system. HKIS created a program that consisted of three key elements: I. classroom and group management, II. curriculum development, and III. electronic portfolios. These three components in this specialized program are designed to personalize an educational workspace, as well as promote social networking.

Questions:
I. How could the myDragonNet program help the public school experience?
This program allows a form for all students to participate. Many public school classrooms are over crowded which presents difficulty for teacher-student relations as well as student-student relations. The myDragonNet program allots a time and a place for teachers to reach out and create a more personal relationship with ones students. It also is an outlet for students that may be too shy to interject in a standard classroom setting. I believe this program has many benefits that would positively affect the classroom.

II. What about the students that do not have computers at home?
Throughout high school I did not have a computer at home. Many of my papers were completed at the library or at my grandparents’ house. Although technology is a great asset, it can be a huge inconvenience for those without. Teachers should do a consensus to see what types of technology are readily available to the students. There should not be an overwhelming amount of technological assignments. A balanced amount of required computer time will be equitable for students with easy access and for those without.