Leadership for Web2.0 in Education: Promise and Reality

Annotation

The Consortium for School Networking commissioned a report conducted by the Metiri Group and funded my the MacCarthur Foundation to ask the question, “To what extent are American K-12 schools redesigning schools to tap into the learning potential of Web 2.0?” This large-scale research surveyed 1,200 district superintendents, curriculum directors, and technology directors to determine and found generally that the speed of innovation and change in society regarding Web 2.0 technologies is outpacing K-12 education’s capacity for innovation.

Specifically, the report finds that district leaders believe the Web 2. 0 represents an enormous opportunity to improve students’ communication skills, quality of schoolwork, interests in school, among other important metrics. In fact, 77% of respondents agreed with the statement “Web 2.0 has value for teaching and learning.” Additionally, 61% believed that participation on approved educational sites should be allowed and 24% believe all use should be allowed provided it is supervised.

Despite great support for the potential of Web 2.0 tools in general, over 70% of these same leaders banned social networking in their schools and near 40% ban the sharing of media files and playing of interactive games. The most common stated concern was the potential “wasting of time/distractions to learning.” Over half reported using filtering systems that are more restrictive than required by federal policy. Many district leaders reported that Web 2.0 functionality the most easily fits into traditional instructional practices get used the most. This suggests that Web 2.0 tools are not sparking a pedagogical switch towards constructivism and, according to Wenglinsky in “Using Technology Wisely,” this will inhibit the value of such usage. Unfortunately, it also suggests that schools, and their curriculum, are not being redesigned to tap into the expressed value of Web 2.0 tools.

CoSN. (2009). Leadership for Web2.0 in Education: Promise and Reality. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www.cosn.org/Default.aspx?TabId=4198.