Teachers and Web 2.0

Many teachers are not comfortable with technology and need meaningful time devoted to teaching them how to use tools.

Teachers need ongoing and immediate tech support to solve glitches when they happen.

While home-computer and Internet access are now widespread, they are not universal. Mindful of that gap, teachers are reluctant to adopt approaches that put some students at a disadvantage.

Worries about student safety and privacy online also have fueled hesitation in moving ahead in using tools such as blogs. While this concern as understandable, it is also manageable,by using passwords and other safety mechanisms.

Some teachers, pressured to cover material and prepare students for exams, worry that they can’t afford to let students use technology to shape projects in unexpected ways, wasting their precious time.

Some are uncomfortable with upsetting traditional classroom dynamics by letting students be the experts on technology.

To change requires understanding and teachers should become aware that we they not have all the answers anymore.

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