Hi Jim,
This has been until now, in spite of the noise (but I'm old) a great learning opportunity from all points of view. I hope I have the will and energy to focus, reflect and document my perspective better.

Jabiz,

Thanks for the positive comment on the post and video - as you say - it is nice to have people respond to it but differently from you, I do not have this need to be heard you refer to. I am no evangelizer nor am I here to market myself, a company or a product. Blogging for me is part of my presence online, a place which allows me to interact with others, where I can archive and share my reflections or what comes to my mind at certain moments when I am trying to make meaning of the environment/people that surround me. It is a place to record an event, a reflection or narrate an experience, lest I forget. You are always welcome to stop by, have a cup of virtual coffee and chat :-)

I came across your blog while reading the different posts from Jim's ds106 course (which I am also participating in as an online outsider - I am Brazilian and live in São Paulo).

What called my attention was your linking to that Justin Hall's video clip Dark Night documenting his breakdown. I was aware of his online diaries but had not watched the video, the essence of which you captured so well in the remix. Justin is like "a digital facelift" of Jay Gatsby, who "believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning-- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby) .

I\'m glad you enjoyed it, Jase and feel free to use it.

Hi Marcia,
This is in Santos - view from my parents\' place.

Hi Leigh,
This would be really great. People say that no news is good news but I have not heard anything from the Open Ed organizers until now neither there is anything on the site. Let's wait and see what comes out of it.

Yes..well said..."if a child is engaging in the world in a given way"...but are they all engaging in the same way? Do you know what each one's cultural background is or are you enforcing your perspective of a new world on them based on the echo chamber that the web can become?

We all know different things, which are not better or worse, superior or inferior. What kids know, what teachers and experts know, what books transmit just serve different purposes and needs. Kids of a certain age basically need attention being directed at them, on their specific needs, ideas and passions and these should be linked to content and perspectives which expand their exposure to the world and allows them to better understand how it functions and ticks + the rules that they should abide to become part of it or contest it. Instructional / educational technology or social interaction per se will not make attention or learning happen...

A forma como estão sendo usados por uma grande maioria que replica o modelo convencional de sala de aula ou que se serve do blog como veículo de lição de casa desencoraja os alunos e possíveis leitores/interlocutores.

Hi Sergio,

As long as we manage to communicate, any language is fine. I agree with you that teachers talk way too much and tend to replicate the traditional educational framework using new tools. From what I understand you mention at the end of your comment is that blogs (the platform, the tool) will trigger this change by themselves.

As I see it, for many blogging is just a copybook online (traditional mindset) or the latest trend to be adopted, like for instance:

Oh, how cool ...here is a spoon... what am I going to cook/prepare so I can use it? or if blogging is imposed "let's eat soup every day to practise how to use the spoon " and "oh..you are not using a spoon/ or drinking soup from a bowl...you do not understand how education works!" or "The more spoonfuls of soup you eat, the more points you will get and the more satisfied your teacher/audience will be ". Obviously I am exaggerating for dramatic effect but the process goes the other way round...here is soup - I only have my hands (or a knife). No way I can eat it without getting dirty and gluey. Is there anything I can use instead to make the process easier ? If there isn't, can I make/invent it ?

My questions is whether blogging will end up being another dehumanizing and mechanical classroom chore / instrument for control like many LMS have become , whether there is a need to evangelize and tell people what this is all about or would that be an interference and it does not really matter because blogging in itself will bring about change, so be zen about it.

Escrevi uma longo comentário hoje de manhã no seu post anterior mas no momento que cliquei em submit comment.. um corte de eletricidade mandou o post para o espaço sideral. Recomeço, agora, no seu novo espaço de Intense Debate.

Sempre divergi da colocação de Marc Prensky "nativos"e "imigrantes" digitais pois, novamente, divide o mundo em branco e preto, de uma forma binária, nós e eles, estereotipada (mais eficiente para impactar e criar efeito, concordo) sem levar em conta todo o espectro e possíveis variações.

Tanto nos EUA como em outros países há jovens que lêem e produzem e outros que não, como há velhos que não lêem e não produzem e outros sim. Não se pode generalizar. O uso de certas ferramentas por uns ou outros, como vc diz depende da idade e para onde a "galera" converge - o point digital é ainda o point geográfico, com tribos de acordo com o interesse bem como o uso de certas ferramentasw e das conversas que ali são generadas. Se não conhecem o Twitter é porque não sentiram a necessidade de usá-lo. Quanto aos blogs, como Suzana e vc mencionam, a maturidade e a facilidade de escrever, se expor também influencia muito. Tenho mais sucesso com o mashup do Flickr com os blogs, por exemplo - já que permitem aliar um comentário breve à uma foto.

A reflexão é um exercício difícil e trabalhoso para uma grande maioria de jovens ou não. Exige um momento de síntese, de um olhar sobre o passado, uma análise do presente momento e uma projeção para o futuro. A maioria das pessoas não se dá nem o tempo, nem o espaço para praticá-la na cada vez mais corrida vida diária. Talvez por isso o interesse maior por um contato para apoio sentimental breve mas contínuo ou comunicação instantânea, superficial e utilitária basicamente.