Much like academics publishing in their respective journals or awards given by any establishment to one of their own, social acceptance is a powerful motivator for many and not just the youth looking to connect to the world or gain the respect of their peers.  

Sometimes, the difficult part is understanding where to find the information.  This is a huge reason why information literacy should be considered, taught, and expanded in today's curriculum.

This is a testament to the need for informational literacy to be taught across the spectrum of education.

I think this is one of the biggest shifts with Education 2.0.  Prior to this, it was a record of events, or "facts" from historical event, or the "effects" of inquiry.  The barrier that WEB 2.0 has broken is not the idea of a new form of learning, communicating, or education, but instead…WEB 2.0 Education has broken the imposed barrier of artificial authority and created space for the "we" and "us" to construct what is right instead of what "you" and "them" have said it should be. 

The biggest concern I have with all of this is where do we separate opinion from fact?  If everyone agreed that the shift in the color of the sky was caused by increased use of Product XYZ, does that make it fact or opinion?  I appreciate the "Classical perspective" because of the facts.  When I am supporting my opinion, I turn to facts to bolster my position.

One of the amazing things about both of the teachers mentioned in this article is the fact that they both CONNECT with their students.  Regardless of the methods, the use or lack there of when it comes to technology, or the subject, each teacher is there with their student, being available, giving their all, and being open enough to make contact with the faces that are staring back at them.  Regardless of the course, my best professors/teachers are those with whom I connected.

I am not sure I know what a "backchannel" is in this instance.  Would someone explain it to me please?

Part of a great classroom management plan is to establish clear rules and expectations from the beginning.  

This speaks directly to the Pew Research from last week about how teachers are using technology in their classrooms and at home

This speaks to the collaborative direction many in education and industry are turning towards.  As Henry Jenkins stated in his blog on 1-19-11 that we read earlier, "...the role of educators needs to shift away from being an expert in a particular area of knowledge, to becoming an expert in the ability to create and shape new learning environments."  http://henryjenkins.org/2011/01/a_new_culture_of_learning_an_i.html

I have often wondered how kids can afford no/low paying internships that require a full workload for multiple years in a big city.  Forgive my ignorance, there is not a lot of that in Whispering Pines, NC.

This is so key in education and speaks to the Sir Ken Robinson's video, "How to Escape Education's Death Valley".

Again, this discussion parallels Sir Ken Robinson's talk "How to Escape Education's Death Valley" where he discusses command & control (standardized testing) vs climate control (that promotes an active engagement in learning by the student).