Blogging and Social Networking Sites

In light of Project 4 and really our entire semester, I was wondering what you would think of this recent article on MSNBC. It's about kids blogging and using social networking sites without their parents' knowledge and about the potential dangers and security risks. But it also talks about the benefits of blogging for kids. It's kind of interesting. Check it out!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7668788/

Technology and Democracy

Thinking about project 4 makes me think about the debate over how democratic technologies like the Web really are. Some people think that technology allows people whose voices are often marginalized by society room to speak. Blogging seems like a good example of that. So do sites like del.icio.us and forums for learning collaboration like the free universities and businesses you are all planning. What could be more democratic than allowing people to rewrite encyclopedia entries, right? But I know other people have questioned whether technology really increases democracy since not everyone has access to technology and those without access are often those most excluded from political/social decision-making to begin with. I wonder what others think about this issue. I'm not offering an answer ... just a question that seems worth pursuing.

Thinking about the future

Now that I finally remembered my password, I can start blogging again! Last week in class we were talking about possibilities we see for the future. One thing I am wondering about whether there is still as much interest and research in artificial intelligence as it seems there was a decade ago. There are still lots of movies about robots (like "Robots" and "I Robot" recently and even sort of the Matrix trilogy), and I know there have been lots of academic articles about bots ... but I'm just wondering if there will be emerging technologies in this realm or whether our interests have shifted away from AI. What do other people think?

"Podcasting" -- Another revolution?

I found this article on MSN that talks about people broadcasting their own "radio" shows over the Internet. It compares the phenomenon to blogging because of its ability to create access and room for the voices of many people from all walks of life (at least walks that include access to technology -- another issue). Anyway, the new trend is called "podcasting." Check it out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6923857/

First Entry

Hi everyone! Now I have a blog, too. Like all of you, I enjoyed seeing Inspiration in action on Wednesday. I think we have already experienced firsthand the impact technology can have in classrooms in terms of motivation and interest. I hope that we can continue to see how technology, learning, and society are interwoven throughout our semester together.