Week One

What is Web 2.0?
Welcome to the Family Online Technology Workshop. Let's start off by defining the term web 2.0.  Web 2.0 is commonly associated with sites and applications that allow for information sharing and collaboration on the web. Web 1.0 was a passive platform in which we viewed information provided by others. Web 2.0 is interactive and always changing. It allows you to become involved in the exchange and add your personal content to the mix. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs and folksonomies.
To get a better idea of how information is changing watch this video from Cultural Anthropologist Professor Michael Wesch.

The Web 2.0 applications we will explore in this workshop encourage sharing and collaboration which create a sense of community, sometimes with people you will never meet face to face. Schools, libraries and businesses are more and more integrating these applications into their world.
Here is another fun video on the topic of Web 2.0 and what it's really all about!

<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ayZQ1C7Olks&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ayZQ1C7Olks&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>ky introduced these terms in his 2001 article "Digital Natives. Digital Immigrants". A digital native is a young person born around 1980's and on who has always been surrounded by digital technology and is very comfortable with it's concepts. A digital immigrant is generally someone born prior to the existence of digital technology, prior to late 1970's. They tend to experience new digital tools using the language and associations from their past experiences similar to someone learning a new language and culture.

This is 1 year old Digital Native Joey:

The goal of this class is to help parents feel more comfortable with the technology your children will be using in life. As we help them with reading, we will need to also help them learn to use technology and computers. We are moving away from just "literacy" and moving toward Transliteracy; the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.
This is the world your child will need to learn to navigate so why not learn Web 2.0 tools along with them?

Listen to this digital native...





Browsing and Searching
Browsers are the applications that we use to search the web and we usually use whatever one came with our computer; Internet Explorer for PCs and Safari for Macs. There is another browser called Mozilla Firefox that we would like to introduce to you. You can read more about it here. Mozilla is free and is an open source technology which is free for the public to view, use and distribute. Click here to download Mozilla. Modzilla has some nice applications you can add on but one parents might be interested in is KidZui. It turns Firefox into a kid-safe browser with games, videos and websites. 


Search Engines
A search engine is a web site that collects and organizes content from all over the Internet based on your query.We will use Google a lot in this class but there are some kid friendly search engines:

• Yahoo Kids
• FactMonster
• AskKids
• KidsClick

Let's Be Safe Online

As with anything that is free and uncensored it pays to be aware of dangers that you might encounter in the online world. Just as you would help your child make good decisions in life you can help them navigate the web 2.0 world in a safe and smart way. Here are some sites that provide information on how to protect yourself and your children.

Netsmartz

All of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative member libraries, including the Largo Public Library, are now offering the NetSmartz Internet Safety program on designated computers in the libraries for grade levels: K-2, 3-6, and 7-12  Once you complete the NetSmartz program on a public library computer, you are eligible to receive a incentive prize of a free pair of ear buds.


GetNetWise
Sponsored by the Internet Education Foundation, GetNetWise provides resources and information to help educate young people about privacy and safety online.


That's Not Cool
Your cell phone, IM, and social networks are all a digital extension of who you are. When someone you're with pressures you or disrespects you in those places, that's not cool.


Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens
A short and useful list of reminders for staying safe on social networking sites (and online in general). Includes a list of resources for finding out more.


Homework:
This will be our class blog where I will be posting  weekly activities. Soon you will be building your own blogs and we will post your blog link so everyone can visit each others work in progress.
For homework this week, go back to the home page of our blog. At the bottom of the "Week One" posting you will see a comment box. 

It will look like this: Posted by Mercedes at 6:45 PM 0 comments
Then...
Register for a library card (in case you don't already have one). There will be some activities in this workshop that you will need a library card to complete. If you have any questions please email me at libraryyouth@largo.com.