Traditionally, education is VERY slow to change - it is one of our instutions that falls prey to fuzzy memories of childhood happiness, of carefree times, of predictability. It is our common experience, and therefore, a pillar of the American social norm. But what many do not want to face is that our model for education is outdated - it does not fall in line with the way people today work or play. Our lecture halls do not provide the richness of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experiences that our children experience every day once they step back into their homes. Technology IS changing the face of education. If anything, it is showing us that many of America's classrooms and teachers have been left behind in a time of explosive technological growth...
Technology has given us tools that open up so many possibilities, and our students are ALREADY USING these tools without us! We cannot ignore the mediums that captivate our youth - we must harness them for our own (shhh - educational) purposes. We can now have conversations with people who have common interests from around the globe. We can collaborate daily on classroom projects with classmates across the country. Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, Twitter, VoiceStream, nings, Skype, and many other collaborative programs allow children from completely different walks of life to connect to one another to create and learn...
We live in amazing times, and cannot begin to imgine the world in which our children will be living, working, and playing. Are we doing all we can to make sure they are ready?