Reading Reflection BWP Ch.9

The concept of Social Networking is just a glimmer of one of the many directions where the web is headed with education. Unfortunately this chapter nailed it with their recognition that few schools (a/k/a educators) are teaching students how to leverage sites such as 'Facebook' for learning. Instead, they're sitting on the sidelines waiting for it to evolve on its own, and I equate this to a farmer waiting for unploughed fields to sprout with vibrant crops. It ISN'T going to happen on its own! And for the few who are exploring these new waters of technology, they are creating vibrant classrooms of learning, where students are intrigued, encouraged, and challenged to go where no person has gone before.
As I journeyed into many of the websites mentioned in Chapter 9, I was excited to see some vibrant concepts in education, but how sad it is that so many schools have signaled a thumbs-down or wait-and-see attitudes when asked to support these concepts. They have an opportunity to immediately impact the minds of both students and educators, but have chosen instead to play it safe. But safe can sometimes impede the foretelling of future success. I have yet one more tool to use in my career which can nurture and inspire others to think outside the box.