The question persists, Is Web 2.0 going to lead to School 2.0? Is it truly transformative, or just more geek lust and magic tricks for consultants to perform on stage for the applause?"
how they are encumbered by lack of time, high accountability, bloated curriculum, aging computers, and insufficient access to technology. I hear story after story of how teachers can barely keep up with teaching as usual, let alone look for new and innovative ways to prepare students for the future.
That is a question that should be directed to national and district leadership; those who establish the overarching focus educators must follow in their classrooms. If standardized testing, assessment, and a broad curriculum is the main focus of education leadership, it doesnt matter whether or not Web 2.0 has the potential to better prepare students for the 21st century workplace. Until technology is viewed as a mindtool that fosters critical thinking and the implementation of curriculum, it will be seen as being in competition with a districts primary focus, instead of supporting it.
The reality is that without the support of national and district leaders, teachers will fail to integrate those powerful learning tools into their classrooms.
No one becomes a teacher for the money. You're in the classroom because the rewards of being a teacher still compensate (on most days at least) for the low pay and long, grueling hours. Teaching after all is a public service, not a business. But are teaching and entrepreneurship mutually exclusive?