It's complicated

In the last week or two we have had some excitement in the course. I tried to introduce a couple more websites--deli.cioi.us and zotero--but they didn't go over too well with my students. They are fed up with having to manage all the sites and passwords. I don't blame them. I am so gungho about this web2.0 stuff and just imagined that they would be too but it's not that easy.

I went back to the Research Plan assignment and revised it to include the old standard methods of gathering sources and citing them. I've given them more choices and will encourage those who want to join me on those new websites that help people write and collaborate better. I've put up a group to that effect in Ning. I don't imagine I will have many takers but so be it. The rest of the semester will be about the writing and less about the technology.

I also went through the process of asking them if they wanted to make our Ning network a public network. The vote was 70% in favor but I decided not to change it. If 30% didn't want to change it to public that seems a goodly amount. After all, it would mean that some of them would have to go in and edit out certain things they have put up in the network. Sometimes you can't go back on decisions that were made because people get used to how things work and don't want to change. Next time I will make it public from the beginning. They should experience what it means to write for the open Web.