Web 2.0 and Instructional Change

There seems to be a lot of talk about the Web 2.0 being a challenge when addressed in the classroom, ie. virtual worlds, ajax, folksonomy, meme, blogging, wikis, social networking, podcasting, "second-life-like websites, etc. Figuring out how to make educational leaders comfortable with those issues raises much concern.  If the leaders in a building or district are not comfortable or even aware of those learning opportunities, then how can the teachers in the classroom be expected to be?  That is a challenge.  Helping folks know what they don't know means we have to figure out a way to make it personal for them.  When it becomes personal, it becomes important.

There has to be a continuum of change occurring within education in order to stay abreast with the rapidity of change occurring outside of education.  Digital educators in leadership positions need to have an understanding of what I think could be considered three levels of the uses of technology:  fluency, integration, and transparency.  Moving to transparency is scary.  Transparency of technology in the classroom means that the teacher and student are both learners.  There is a mutual give and take and technology is invisible. It (technology) is just there, always on, and it works.