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The debate with engagement vs distraction extends beyond the classroom. We are in such a sensory overload environment that things like art museums are also trying to adapt to re-capture attention.

I'm not sure that I find this picture to be a comment on distraction as much as how much kids like touching things rather than starring at what, quite frankly, doesn't look to be that interesting of an exhibit.  If you want kids to be engaged in your museum, which is partially the point of this article/post, then you need to make it interactive. The same goes for the classroom. Making the classroom interactive whether through tech. or other means, is a necessity!

What do you think? Is ignorance of the tools of the web excusable? Should we let them off the hook?

Oh, and read down through the comments, as well. The discussion continues there.

"...if you're not doing what needs to be done, then you should get out of the way to make room for someone who will." This statement assumes everyone who uses digital technology "know what needs to be done." After viewing many videos during our class I believe there is a direction we should be going in, but nobody really 'knows' what needs to be done. Just like every politician and irrate blogger seems to have the answer. The "get with us or get out of the way" statments concern me the most. If a student doesn't subscribe to what we're teaching do we then shuffle them off to alternate school? No, we try something different whether it's Web 2.0 or something else. It's what we call the 'art' of teaching. Whether we're teaching students or educators, as long as we're willing to try something new, not just jump on the bandwagon, then our students will learn to adjust and be flexible also.

Lurkers are good - if everyone is talking than no one is listening.

I don't think we can let educators off the hook. I feel like some just ignore where the world is going and feel save and comfortable in what they know. Well, who isn't. We don't become better teachers, friends, parents, or people by keeping things to same. You have to change and adapt in order to be successful. We aren't just teaching students. We are preparing the future generation. Those students will become all of things we are and we know - if we don't prepare them for what their world WILL look like, what are we doing? Are we even doing our job? We must be held accountable.

No, we should not allow colleges who train our teachers off the hook either. We need to support and train teachers in these various tools. We also need to make sure they have the hardware was well as our kids. All too often these authors think everyone including kids have access to computers/internet 24/7. Some of our teachers do not have this access in their homes.

information shared to the faculty helps counter the "blue pill"

That is my favorite paragraph!

I also like this paragraph. The idea of life-long learnining has to embrace change. I understand that adapting is difficult because it requires teachers to constantly reconstruct their teaching. However, I agree that this needs to take place in order for education to effectively meet the needs of students.