The title of the first chapter is an apt one because it describes what the web has truly become: a place for not just the consumption of information bu also for the contribution of information. The World Wide Web is actually a great example of how one person's dream, that of Tim Berners-Lee to have a place where anyone from anywhere could meet and collaborate, can literally change the world.
Already I'm liking Will's writing and specifically how he cites current examples to support his points. He talks about how Barack Obama wisely took advantage of the Read/Write Web to create digital meeting places for the average Joe and Jill to gather and communicate. Some say that this help Obama bush ahead of McCain in the polls; well it certainly didn't hurt him.
I remember how cool it was when I heard that, despite the best efforts of the Iranian government, the people were able to share their stories about what was going on with the world thanks to tools such as cell phones, twitter and blogs. The Read/Write Web is a locomotive that has built up so much steam that it can't be stopped no matter how hard a government or political party may want it to.
Will closes the first chapter by addressing an issue that we both believe is so very important: that of keeping students safe online. There's no denying that with all the positive and "cool" things that the Read/Write Web provides there are also negative things and dangerous individuals out there too. So, as teachers it our job to model for students how to be digital, ethical citizens when using technology so that the digital footprint they leave behind will be a positive one.
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