W2.0 Syndrome

You know you may be obsessed with something when your friends tell you so! Last week one of my podcast partners on the TechPodZone podcast came into my office and proclaimed, as he usually does, that it was time to do another podcast. Normally it takes us about a minute or 2 to decide what our topic will be. This time he added within the same breath, “….and I have the topic”. He then proceeded to tell me that he thought it would be fun and informative to discuss Web 2.0 overload. In fact he said it would be good therapy for me.

It seems I have been going around our school talking about the Web 2.0 and all of it’s’ virtues so much that people are wondering about me. You can listen to our show and judge for yourself, but the Web 2.0 tools are just too cool.

It’s interesting that this topic came up in our school because I noticed David Warlick stated in a recent blog post, "I am so not ready for this",about his trip to Shanghai:

“The work has gone well, and my energy has been what was needed, exploring the qualities and instructional applications of digital content and one session on video games in education. But twice, since I’ve been here, I have experienced a sickness that I’ve never felt before. The only way that I can phrase it is Sensory Overload. “

I do believe that this can happen and has happened with me. My life style has changed somewhat because of the Web 2.0. I know longer sit passively in front of the TV to be entertained. I am now sitting in front of my computer devouring information and more importantly dispensing information as well. I am producing podcasts, creating wikis, and blogging. If that doesn’t change your habits nothing will.

I subscribe to about 12 different podcasts and listen to 3 or 4 religiously. I subscribe to 16 different blogs and read them almost every night. What keeps me coming back? I always find something new that I can use or share with another teacher. I use Google Notes to save everything I find. My list has grown substantially.

I need to figure out a way for people to be curious about the web 2.0 and not my affliction.