Chapter 9, New Schools

I am so completely in agreement with this chapter. The sad thing is that the book is copyrighted 2007 and we still aren't even close to accomplishing the goals of School 2.0. Our students know how to use the tools, but we need to get the faculty up to their level and figure out how to implement the tools and completely alter teaching as we know it today. Some teachers and librarians, myself included, dabble in some of the Web 2.0 tools but more as a special interest or novelty and not as a crucial teaching tool or methodology.

It is so exciting to think that we already have the tools and potential to make offsite education a reality. Considering the cost of maintaining school buildings and providing student transportation, it is mind boggling to think of what uses all that money could be put in a School 2.0 world. It could probably bring the student body up to a level playing field technologically so that a remote school could work. We see the possibility and potential in the way the Raven About Web 2.0 is taught.

I appreciate the section that discisses the five elements of the video game experience that can have direct application to successful learning. I have a sort of snobbish disregard for video games as somewhat useless and as detractors from more worthwhile pursuits. This section made me look at my attitude a bit more critically. The education world could probably take pointers from the video game world and gain greater buy-in from our students. It is apparent that what we are doing in schools now is not stimulating students to invest the proper amount of time and energy in their education. We need to get on their level and not expect them to perform in our world that has so little bearing on the rest of their lives.