Ideas to Inspire

At several edtech conferences I’ve been to , both virtual and live, the keynote speakers keep talking about this idea that we need to teach our students how to use the web2.0 tools for good, rather than evil (ok, not evil, but if you’re a parent of a myspacer, it can start to look like evil).

One way to do this is to teach kids how to create their network community in a positive way. This blog site, TheBlog Weemade was started in February and it is a place to celebrate the artwork of kids in all their creativity and rule breaking and wonder. Parents post pics of toddler work, and teens can even post their own. So how does that create community? People can comment on the site which gives the kids real feedback from people other than the ones they already know. It is confirming and it makes them want to do more, be more, draw more, etc. I don’t think MySpace does that.

In fact, if you want to play with this, go dig up one of your preschool masterpieces. It’s probably in a box somewhere at your parents house or in the garage or something. Rekindle your relationship with that younger, uninhibited artist in you!