Chapter 10 of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts

Chapter 10's focus was mainly on what it all means, what this whole books means. The line that stuck out most to me is that we, as educators and people using technology, "are tapping into the potential of a World Wide Web that is a conversation, not a lecture, where knowledge is shaped and acquired through a social process, and where ideas are presented as a starting point for dialogue, not an ending point" (Siemens, 2005, p.148). I thought that this quote really summed up the whole book, with wikis and podcasts, technology in the classroom, and interacting as a whole world. In the classroom, this is also very true. Bringing technology into the classroom in today's age is like bringing in a conversation because we don't have to just lecture anymore. Even in a traditional history classroom, where it is typical to lecture, there are so many options for students to be engaged in the classroom and learn beyond just a book's potential. This brings me to the chapter's focus on the big shifts in how to effectively teach students.
Big Shift one focuses on the information we teach being current, unlike a textbook who's information can be outdated in just a few years. Another shift is that the teacher can teach and learn and the students can learn and teach as well. Teaching is also the conversation. Students teaching other students and the teacher show the students that their voices and opinions matter. All ideas are starting points, not ending points. Even if a student doesn't give the correct answer, that opens the door to explaining why that isn't correct or imploring why that answer might ok in some situations. It's an opportunity to explain more.
One of my favorite shifts is the Big Shift 9: Mastery is the product, not the test. Mastery isn't just passing the test anymore. There are several ways for students to show that they understand and have mastered the content. A simple paper test isn't the best assessment for all students, and technology offers a way for students to be accurately assessed. I also appreciate the fact that the chapter addressed the issue that what gets put on the internet isn't always truthful, that we need to be critical consumers. This is a great learning experience for everyone, students and teachers, because it requires the reader to use critical thinking, to determine if what is being displayed is the truth.
The big shifts used in this chapter are a great resource for the classroom because they are "starting points" for discussion and reminders that the internet offers its own resources, and being used the right way allows a student to get the most out of his or her education. Being a teacher is today's age, I will use these shifts and be reminded of the changing internet and technology and that this is just the beginning.