Diane Swonger 10.21.08

“The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web” by Will Richardson

Overview

         Will Richardson, in his article “The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web,” calls attention to the fact that “the internet is no longer simply a place where digital learners consume information. It is now a forum through which users can publish and broadcast their own writing.” This relatively new occurrence, according to Richardson, is affecting our classrooms in several ways. The tools Richardson mentions include podcasts (online web/radio shows), wikis (websites that people can update and edit at any time), blogs (online diaries, or classroom resources to enhance critical thinking), Really Simple Syndication or RSS (analyzes the stream of data and compiles any new information for RSS subscribers to read), and furling (bookmarks a site address as well as the website itself).

        As a result of the Internet becoming more complex, its uses more advanced, Richardson points out that the world needs to look at what it means to be literate, for being able to read and write simply is not enough these days. In order to be fully capable in the world, students must be able to be editors, as well as readers, when it comes to the exchange of online information and resources. The Read/Write Web challenges teachers to think critically about their own pedagogies when it comes to technology, and how to shift from simply being consumers of online literacy to becoming the creators of it. Richardson also calls attention to the risks involved with becoming more digitally literate, such as the student’s right to privacy, as well as plagiarism. Despite the risks involved, Richardson reiterates his belief that the new Read/Write Web will allow students and teachers to become participants rather than consumers of technology.

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