So here is the Task I have been dreading...... 1c Audio-Visual. I have to admit I have put this task off as long as I possibly could as I do not enjoy hearing the sound of my voice on camera. I was very nervous which was strange for me as I am usually a confident person, a huge part of my job being a teacher is public speaking and presentations which I always enjoy. However the light of a camera kills all my confidence and I find myself mumbling and struggling to stay focused. After completing this task I feel this is something I need to practice and improve as I was unaware of just how difficult this can be. I thought about redoing the video until I had perfected it but after the 3rd attempt which was the 1st recording that I made it to the end without stopping, i decided to post it so I can look back at the end of this course and hopefully see how much I have improved.
here it is....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cYVbMZnOMU
don't laugh please!! haha
As a regular Facebook user I have been using web 2.0 for years even though before reading the reader 1 I had no idea what it was. Web 2.0 has created a public voice for everyone and allows anyone a place for their views and opinions. I believe it offers a more relaxed approach to publishing ideas and work without the pressure of the media and scrutinizing eye of the professionals we would need to approach for publication. Web 2.0 has changed the way we communicate and opened up doors that would have been shut to many people prior to its existence.
When I think of the word Web 2.0 the word ' connect' comes to mind, I believe the best aspect of this type of media is that it connects people all over the world. There are no boundary's anymore between towns, country's, jobs, interests, everyone is connected and all you need to do is search for your desired connection.
Rise of the Prosumer (Valtysson 2010) is the key to masking this type of media so successful, giving the consumer the chance to become the producer and vice versa. When ever you read something you always have your own opinions running around in your head, Web 2.0 has given us the chance to share our ideas and opinions and also receive feedback and comments from others. This 'blurring of the lines' (Valtysson 2010) between the people who make the media and the people who consume it has encouraged people to engage and participate where they may not have had the confidence to before. This allows people to come together as equals and generate ideas and thoughts.
Anonymity plays a huge part in the massive success and participation of the public. Having the option of being anonymous makes people feel more comfortable expressing their opinions giving them freedom to ask the questions they may not feel comfortable asking with their name attached.
The ability to comment and discuss a variate of topics creates worldwide participation building relationships and communities of people with the same interests. Sometimes your friends or family may not be interested in the things you are so its great being able to take part in a discussions on your interests via forums. We all have those questions that we want the answers to but would rather not ask anyone we know, being able to simply type your question into the search engine is brilliant. I have done this many times always finding a forum with a group of people discussing and answering these questions.
The discussion and input of people all over the world allows us to constantly develop theory's and ideas, no work is finished and the constant development deepens the thinking of everyone involved creating evolutionary merit rather than ownership of an idea. The ability to add and delete text and information allows us to grow as a community as more facts and information are brought to the table. Commenting and leaving feedback opens up new door and new ideas that can lead to new areas for discussion. The idea of collective intelligence of many being more valuable than the observations and musings of a few, is supported by the theory of 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. I believe this to be true on some counts however sometimes too much input can cloud the idea and truth can be lost in accusation and opinion. That is why I think it is important to have knowledge of authorship as it is important to have someone to protect the content and manage the information.
Web 2.0 brings about many ethical considerations that should be addressed and fully understood when using this type of networking especially for business. As a teacher I have used Web 2.0 a lot over the years for business related communication and teaching resources for my lessons. One of the major ethical issues I have come across is authenticity, when searching for information the first web site that usually comes up is 'Wikipedia'. Wikipedia is a brilliant source of information and very useful for teaching as it has many theory's which are always updated, however I have on occasion found the information to be incorrect and unreliable. As a teacher it is important that the information I pass on to my students is correct and because of this I cannot use wiki sites with full confidence. I will normally check a wiki site first, then dig a little deeper into official publishing's to check the theory's are correct. As Wikipedia is an unauthorized site and frowned upon in an academic sense is acts as a base for further research.
Wiki sites are a great source for study and I try to include them as often as I can in my teaching to encourage my students to research topics via forums and wikis, this deepens their train of thought and gives them the opportunity to take in new ideas and opinions. Throughout my studies I have often relied on wiki sites to spark ideas and broaden my own knowledge so I feel it is a very important part of learning.
Facebook is the wiki site I use most in my ever day life, I first joined Facebook in 2003 and have been hooked ever since. I have found it has kept me in contact with people sustaining relationships with both friends and colleagues. Facebook has also been a great way for me to retrieve working relationships and business contacts that may have been lost over time, being able to search for a name and make contact has made communication simple and effective. For example, when working abroad a few years ago I made a lot of great connections in the performing arts industry and a few months back a director I met in New York was in London. He was auditioning for a show which I heard about via Facebook and I wanted to recommend a student of mine for a private audition. As I hadn't spoken to him for years I felt calling him may be a little inappropriate and uncomfortable for the both of us, however Facebook provided the perfect solution. I sent him a friendly message asking how he was and what he was up to, he responded and the conversation flourished resulting in my student having an appointment for a private audition.
While Facebook has made my life easier in so many ways professionally it can be hard work. It is very important for me to always remember it is a public site that anyone can access and even with all the privacy settings adjusted to my needs I still have to be very careful about how I am perceived professional. I have in the past had to take a second look at my profile pictures and delete some as they did not represent a professional image which is important for me as I am a teacher and profile pictures are public. Facebook blurs the line between professional and personal and it is important for me that this does not become an invasion of privacy and boundary’s being crossed in work. I have in the past had issues with students sending me Facebook friend requests, which is completely against the school rules but there are always students that push boundary’s and break rules, this is why the profile picture and privacy settings must be considered and adjusted to represent a professional image. I have no set all my Facebook settings to private and selected a profile picture I feel is appropriate for a professional image. Only friends of my friends can send me requests and all posts and pictures must be approved by myself before being published.
Overall I believe Web 2.0 is on of the greatest inventions of late and I believe used properly can be very beneficial both professionally and personally.
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