The Moss-Free Stone

Here is the quandary. Teachers are excited. Students are excited. The tools are ready and available and the training is underway. Web 2.0 is beginning its slow takeoff in our district. Teachers, students, and principals are beginning to create marvelous products using blogs, wikis, and, soon, podcasts. However, the question becomes, “If we build it, will they come?”

There is no doubt that the Internet in general, and the interactive Internet of Web 2.0 in particular, can and will do incredible things for educators and their clientele. Information can be created, shared, and discovered as never before. However, I wonder about the generation gap as it exists in the world of the Web. While students are already immersed in the ever-widening frontier of technology, many parents are not equipped to take full advantage of the available tools. For example, RSS/XML feeds offer an incredible tool for communication. Teachers and administrators can share news with the community instantly, student products can be broadcast to a worldwide audience without even a click, and more. As I work to share these tools with teachers, however, I cannot help but draw the conclusion that many, many parents and community members are completely unfamiliar with this tool.

Because of this fact, it is very apparent that efforts must be made not only to educate and equip educators and students, but their intended audiences, as well. How to accomplish this is the question I’m stuck on at the moment. Here are a few ideas:

• Parent education nights–parents come to campus or district-wide events highlighting technology. Sessions are included demonstrationd of blog/wiki creation tools, subscription tools, etc.
• Newsletters–utilize the district’s existing communication tools, both electronic and paper, to spread the word.
• Podcasts and/or Flash tutorials–these would be available via the district’s website. Of course, using a podcast to educate folks on podcasting is a bit of a reach.

In the end, a combination of means may be the best option. Of course, another important tool not to be overlooked is the student his/herself. If students would come to see themselves as technological tutors, so to speak, for their parents, the gap could certainly be narrowed in an exciting way.

I’ll be sharing additional thoughts on this subject in the near future, as well as observations on our successes and failures. Please don’t hesitate to share your own experiences and suggestions.