tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post-81093733790736192202008-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:002008-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:002008-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:00Steve - this is a wonderful post and I have already forwarded it on to several colleagues. You are bang-on in your assessment of Web 2.0 being the future of education. I see it. I believe it. I want it to happen. Like several others who have posted comments, however, I am frequently left wondering how to make this happen. Many of my colleagues are still reluctant to do something as simple as using email. I have received nothing but complaints about requiring online registration for a district event ("Can't I please just do it on paper and send it to you?). When tasks like this are beyond their comfort level, I can't help but question how I will get them to become pro-sumers using a variety of other tools?<BR/><BR/>Some people are willing to learn and I try my best to help. In my "spare time" (ha!) I make myself available to work one-on-one with colleagues, have offered (and continue to offer) workshops to in-service and pre-service teachers, have shared knowledge through mentorship opportunties in my district and more. In my position as an elementary teacher-librarian I model the use of blogs, wikis, podcasts, Voicethreads and other tools. I maintain a virtual library website. I host online bookclubs using Moodle discussion forums. I teach information literacy skills. I listen to ed tech podcasts when I walk my dog, and I lurk in Ning groups like Classroom 2.0. I see the value in all of this and I try to make others see it to. Have I achieved success with a few “converts”? Sure. More often than not, however, I find that “you can lead a horse to water” is an accurate description of trying to affect any change in education... or with educators. These shifts are hard! <BR/><BR/>Do I blame my colleagues? No... they are busy, busy people. There have been very few pro-d opportunties to learn any of the new technologies – certainly even fewer on Web 2.0 topics.... not that the “one shot deals” are very effective anyway. It is hard to find time to play around with these new tools when they are already busy with all that they are expected to do. But I really, really really want them to...and I think our students need them to as well. <BR/><BR/>I guess, then, I am wondering if there is a “playbook” (or if one could be created) on how to gently move resistant district personnel and colleagues in the direction that we so obviously need them to go. How do a few already busy people affect enough change to make it so that (to continue with your water analogies) we actually feel like we're swimming with the tide instead of always against it? Help!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06411513031597583471noreply@blogger.com