It keeps coming back to technology stewardship

On  Friday I did a brief session with my colleagues at ESCE  (a Business School in Setúbal) about Web2.0. The feedback and the sensation I got was one  of anticipation, a realisation that we are onto something here with all these tools, but where and how to begin? Like one colleague said, I'm just getting familiar with Web1.0 and you're telling me there's a Web2.0.

I am, again, reminded of the need for technology stewards - people who know both the local context and needs,  who know the technology market, and know how to weave together the two.

You used to be able to teach one thing at a time - e.g.  "Now you will learn how to use Frontpage". But that strategy makes less sense now. Rather, you have to know how to use a suite of tools to make sense of any one tool i.e.  knowing about hyperlinks, tags, Technorati, blogrolls and RSS feeds makes more sense of keeping a blog.

But to know about so many things they have to make sense to you in your practice. You have to be ready to use them, otherwise you just don't (unless you've got a geeky bent). Much of a technology steward's job is knowing how and when to  introduce a tool, and to whom.  And one thing I've had to learn (with my enthusiasm) is that you have to know when  NOT to tell people about a tool.   

Tomorrow I'll be at a meeting in Brussels where I will share some of my interest and knowledge about Web2.0 tools. They asked me to "do a training" and I said no. My interest is not in training people to use tools. My interest is in understanding the community, its practices and (new) literacies. And then I am interested in helping them discover the tools that could support and extend those practices and literacies. And this concept of technology stewardship has given me a handle (and a language) for being able to express that.

Comments

[Paulo Lobato Inacio]

I never realize that perspective of "use" the technology. It can change the all idea of how we use the technology on our daily needs.
Something more to thought about and digest.