"Bonded Design"

In reading Andrew Large's "Finding Information on the Web -- Children as Portal Users and Designers," I was struck by the idea of "bonded design" for internet portal creation. Large asserts that a two-way dialogue between the students for whom the portals were being designed and the designers themselves was essential in developing an easily usable and well used end-product.

While "stakeholder input" is often sought at the outset of a web-based project, it is the continuous bond between user and designer, throughout the design process, that ultimately led to success in this case.

I see this as a (literally) wise project development strategy, but also as metaphor for the potential for Web 2.0 in education: if continual collaboration and real-time consultation are available to today's students via Web 2.0, then the development of their educational projects can only benefit. Here's to social media making for better educational outcomes!

Social Media Webinar Recording

Today I hosted a short 15 minute webinar on educational uses of some web 2.0 applications; thanks to those who could attend. The full session recording is available here, for those who were interested but couldn't join in live.

On-line Reputation Management

Here's another good reason Web 2.0 needs to be taught to students today: on-line reputation management. As Will Richardson and others have often argued, kids need to know that what they do online leaves a permanent footprint that will follow them into their adult lives.

As teachers, we often assume that today's students are social software saavy: they all know how to Facebook and MSN, right? What they may not know, however, it just how permanent each casual LOL and WTF really are.

If we, as teachers, are to help students best prepare for their futures, then we cannot ignore student interactions with social media, or assume that they know it all and can manage it on their own. We must teach online reputation management so that todays kids have the best chance for success in tomorrow's world.