Journal #2

In the article, “Breathing Fire into Web 2.0,” Justin Hardman and David Carpenter explain how The Hong Kong International School has taken its faculty and students into the 21st century by creating an “all-in-one” web-based system, named myDragonNet. Through this system, teachers and students alike have the ability to communicate and collaborate by way of Web 2.0. It also allows instructors various tools that are valuable in the development of curriculum along with an online portfolio management system. Justin Hardman, a former alumnus of the school, was hired to create this tool, ensuring that the program would be designed specifically for HKIS. By interacting with students and faculty, Hardman was able to personalize myDragonNet, so it reflected the visions and goals of the school. This system parallels the real world as social networking acts as the foundation for this endeavor, preparing students for what is to come. To further classroom management, teachers continuously update their WebPages, which contain information regarding topics such as sports, clubs, and classes. Teachers can share their tried and true methods as resources and unit plans are available and distributed among educators. To encourage reflection and growth students have a digital storage tool, enabling them to showcase all of their work. It is the schools wish that, “within the community of myDragonNet that their identities and accomplishments are much more authentically represented than they would be in Facebook or MySpace.”

Are systems like myDragonNet appropriate for all schools, or just the more technically focused?

I cannot think of a school that would fail to benefit from a tool as pragmatic as this one. If it is the school’s responsibility to prime kids for the “real world,” then they need to understand that the real world is immersed in all kinds of technology. Collaboration and class management are essential aspects of education and should be made more readily available for teachers and students.

What might some of the drawbacks be to a system such as this?

Any program carries the threat of abuse and exploitation. It is vital for students, as well as faculty members, to go through some sort of a class that trains them in netiquette. They need to be aware that they are interacting with real people, even though they cannot see them face-to-face.