Task B - "Spoilers" (Reflection on Reader 1)

For Task B, I’ll touch a bit more on my existing "Web 2 Point…OH! "blog that I had posted prior to this. That blog also stems from thoughts on Reader 1.

Today, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across numerous posts from colleagues talking about the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things 2”. Many of the posts began with *Spoilers Below* in the title, or outright talking about the plot with no care for other individuals current viewership of the show. This brought an interesting thought across my mind about “spoilers”, and as I unpacked the idea of it, I began processing for this blog about Reader 1.

As we’ve now discussed, Web 2.0 has an incredible amount to offer in the way of networking, communication, and professional practice. It often helps form our world, and our understanding of it. However, is it also safe to say that it TOO houses “spoilers” in a sense, to how we formulate our day to day learning? A good part of my education has been through reading texts, doing assignments, and trying my best to turn them in on time. Many years have gone into reciting my acquired knowledge at the end of each term onto a piece of paper, in hopes to funnel a narrow understanding of the course subject into my brain for use in the outside world. However, as i’ve been studying and experiencing in my current programme through Middlesex University, there’s MANY ways we can (and have) learned, beyond just time in a classroom. The world can be viewed as our classroom, learning from each encounter with other professionals and knowledge holders. Along side this notion, we can fact check, and do research of our own against the things we’ve learned throughout the day using the web. With that being said, is the instant access to the wealth of information causing somewhat of a “spoiler”? In other words, what’s the right balance between studying your craft, practicing it, and implementing it? So often nowadays, it feels like everything in society is based around “quicker, better, easier, more” etc.

The new Apple iPhone is quicker, more powerful, better looking. It seems like education is going this route as well. Sites like YouTube offer thousands of tutorials. Within 30 seconds, I opened my web browser, clicked to YouTube, and searched “Learn Adobe Photoshop”. One of the first results was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HE_u-g83sY, “Learn Adobe Photoshop - All the basics” with subtitle: "Today we learn all the basics of Photoshop in just 40 minutes”. If we’re being honest, part of me is thinking "40 minutes?! I’ve spent years in trial and error learning this!” but is that how everyone is going to learn? No necessarily.

In his book “Outliers: The Story of Success. popular Canadian journalist, author, and speaker Malcom Gladwell repeatedly mentions his “10,000 Hour rule”, suggesting that in order to achieve world-class success in a skill, you must practice it correctly for a total nearing 10,000 hours. While a recent study done in 2014 by Princeton University and published by Business Insider "debunks" Gladwell’s claim to an extent, I personally can subscribe to the general notion. (http://www.businessinsider.com/new-study-destroys-malcolm-gladwells-10000-rule-2014-7)
Where does Web 2.0 fit into all of this? As I reflect upon my experience, I trace my own paper trail of successful learning that leads to a healthy combination between accessing resources like tutorials, blogs, Facebook communities, etc. and hard and true practice/experimentation. Often implementing the newly acquired information into existing practice and practical experience from being in the workforce, to grow in my skills. Using my metaphor, although the quick “spoilers” may draw you in, don’t let it deter you from taking the time to also watch the show, and thoroughly enjoy the process!