If you haven’t heard about Google Wave, prepare to be blown away. I made the mistake of starting this movie at 10:30 last night thinking I’d probably just watch a few minutes and drift off to sleep.
Google Wave is 100% open-source, so rest assured that developers are ravenously developing extensions, plug-ins, modules, and anything else necessary to make it work on all the platforms we use today.
Still more encouraging, our data show that when students work at their own pace, the need for traditional tracking and labeling goes away. Given the time and personal instruction needed to master core topics, supposedly "slower" students are often able to speed ahead. Within weeks, they look "advanced."
Sure... but to extend this model further than mere "support", it removes the highly skilled teacher who can/should make the learning meaningful, relevant, interesting,... Simply completing skill-based tutorials does nothing for the child who needs something different or does not enjoy mathematics. Teachers are questioners, connectors, inspirers, relationship-builders,... not just traffic directors making sure everyone gets plugged in to the skill-based lessons that they need.