Task 1b

I've been reading Reader 1 this morning, which, having already looked at the 2006 Tim O'Reilly article - What is Web 2.0, has given me a lot more understanding of what Web 2.0 stands for, and the possibilities it opens up for networking and social/ professional interaction.
I'm also reading the second Donald Schon book - Educating the Reflective Practitioner - at the moment, and with both lots of information and ideas floating around in my head I had a moment of inspiration!
If the modern attitude toward professional practice has been undermined and given a bad press because of the secrecy that, in the past, has surrounded professional knowledge and the misuse of this professional standing by those seeking to line their own pockets or keep others down then could Web 2.0 not only be a useful tool for the professional (to network, swap ideas, solve problems, communicate to his audience, etc.) but help to make more transparent and accessible to the non-professional the knowledge and art of practice therefore reducing scepticism and rebuilding trust?

I think that in the last couple of years I have started to become aware of the need to build better relationships with both my students and the parents of my students, within the boundaries of professional/ client. I have found that keeping parents regularly updated with information and feedback brings a more supportive environment and helps to identify problems in their early stages rather things getting out of hand. I've moved into email and mobile communication, which gives most of my students and parents access to me outside of working hours, and I've started to use skype to communicate both with other teachers and my students. Perhaps by using more Web 2.0 applications (youtube, flickr, etc.) I can create an even better relationship with both students and parents...

I'm still struggling with the ethical side of putting videos/ photos of my students in the public domain and this is one of the reasons why I am having a bit of trouble with Task 1d. My work obviously involves my students but I am not going to be able to put any pictures of them up on my blog, however I think, as this is mainly a task to develop a skill rather than a showcase of work I have produced, then I can find a way to fulfill the task without compromising my current ethical standpoint.

So much to think about over the weekend!