Comments on: Why Do Teachers Build Creepy Treehouses?

By: Mr. Jared Stein

Mr. Jared Stein — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:54:38 +0000

By: Mr. Jared Stein

Mr. Jared Stein — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:38:12 +0000

John, I think you summed up what I was trying to say in 3 pages quite succinctly in 1 paragraph!

By: johnkrutsch

johnkrutsch — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:20:55 +0000

I think the key here is that the instructors that will be successfully in using Web 2.0 technologies without appearing to be building creepy treehouses will be those who are already active online or otherwise engaged in using Web 2.0 in their daily practice. Compulsory student-instructor social engagement is probably a bad idea but instructors who are actively in engaged in the Web 2.0 sphere could help students create their own PLE’s by modeling the benefit they get from their own PLE’s. If students then choose to follow or befriend an Instructor then I think true enrichment can occur.

By: Chris Lott

Chris Lott — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:55:51 +0000

Now you’re getting into the reasoning behind my push on PLE as Third Space in the Oldenburg sense! I could say a lot more here but it would be mostly just long-winded agreement. None of these are binary issues, but spectrums in which educators and students inhabit the same space in varying proportions.

By: Tyrel

Tyrel — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:13:01 +0000

I agree it’s not the use of these technologies in class. It is more the integration into every day life, and how students can learn and socialize for themselves. I’ve been wondering if the reason distance education does not get as much support is because it re-enforces the idea of students learning for themselves rather than being taught. What we should truly be doing as Ed-tech geeks is building around these technologies to show how they can be used to further ones learning. While most of these interactions with social media in the classroom are from the shelter/shield of a Learning Management System (LMS); we should encourage students to go and do these same things in the real world. If they do so and discover that it can greatly enhance learning they may interact with the professor of their own accord, thus removing the Creepy Tree House aspect.