The video about Web 2.0 I posted a couple of days ago keeps on popping up on the blogs that I read.
NUS student, November Tan, highlighted it too, reflecting on how she uses the read/write web to help build environmental awareness and interest in Singapore's rich biodiversity:
Indeed, the way the environmental "movement", ideas of conservation, of environmental awareness, outreach, sharing, inspiration, motivations, passing on of information in Singapore has changed tremendously and in fact expanded by leaps and bounds thanks to the wonders and beauty of Web 2.0.
For example, I can upload my photos of my beachflea trip to Hantu and tomorrow somebody searching for "hantu" tags might be introduced to the beauty of our southern shores and from there he might then see my blog and then linked on to the many issues by looking at tags, through del.icio.us or other such aggregators. Somebody can then submit it to tomorrow.sg or any other blog aggregators and then the word is spread. Likewise, photos and videos can be linked and shared with ease on a user-created wikipedia entry on Pulau Hantu and then contribute the information they have on the great biodiversity on Hantu and then linking other bloggers like the Hantu Blog, they find out about reclamation projects. That is the beauty of Web 2.0 connectivity.
Inside Higher Ed examines this viral video hit (cheers to collegewebeditor), interviewing Michael Wesch about it. He makes an interesting point regarding how the video came about:
As part of an article on Web 2.0 that is intended to appear in a journal of anthropology, Wesch created the video to appear on the publication’s Web site.
“I was trying to explain this stuff in the traditional paper format, and I thought, ‘This is ironic,’” he said. “I can illustrate this much better in a video.”
In trying to find a more effective way to explain Web 2.0, Michael came up with what is now a seminal video. This does not detract from his future journal article but adds to it.
Likewise, if you're passionate about what you teach, blog about it. Use all the technological tools you have at your disposal to find new and more effective ways to make a point. Michael Wesch did and the results are there for all the web to see.
