Changing the way the world changes

I loved the information in the Clark and Dilger articles and they add to the information I have about wanting to teaching using these concepts in the classroom. Clark makes teaching English sound so much more inventive and creative especially for the current technology awareness of students today and in preparing them for the future. Considering that employers are looking for more creative, right brained thinkers and producers, we have the task of providing them with learning opportunities specific to these needs. Clark says, " I use technology in my courses to re-create the contemporary worlds of writing that our students encounter everyday."(29) I agree that we can help them access the 'network-situated' self that will help them function within different communities, link them across courses,colleges and connect them to the world with projects such as e-portfolios, writing in blogs, publishing digitally and creating through writing for larger audiences than just their teacher.I like the idea of 'responsible digital literacy, becoming more engages citizens, thinking about real life issues and working to create writing that goes beyond the classroom. That would be so empowering and motivating to students; helping them access a larger purpose for their learning would be such a more challenging and rewarding way to teach.

I like the idea of digital field trips and this connects to Manovich's writing in this chapter about the accessibility of more realistic images and the process of allowing the students to enter these virtual sites to get 'real' experiences that for most, would be impossible to travel to in their lifetimes.
I wondered about the statement, "to ignore the imperative of the now is to create a dangerous paradigm for the future', and how this applies to the way the education curriculum are being slow about integrating technology into our schools.
Another tie I saw in Clark's article, directly relating to Manovich was her assertions, " Years from now, do we want a society that suffers fro a lack of forethought about the digital age just as we now suffer from years of ignorance about the environment?" (34) This links to the direction of awareness and that Manovich is directing us to throughout his book.

Dilger's article helped me understand sites that I have used before and have been re- exploring like Delicious and Flickr and the background information on Google and their strategies towards the users. He had a powerful quote, "... the way it will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes." (22)