issues with Web 2.0

• Restricted access: district and school blocked sites such as Hotmail or Facebook
• Technology issues: lack of IT support in schools means all support done by volunteer teachers, lack of money in some schools for technology, technology quickly outdated, incompatible equipment   
• Privacy issues
• Age issues: online content may be inappropriate for students
• Professional support: often a lack of support for professional development, left to the discretion of individual teacher to learn new technologies
• many teachers are digital refugees 
• people may resist change
• lack of access at home
• huge discrepancies of available technology throughout the district, province, country
• does good access=money, are we perpetuating the digital divide?
• how do we close the digital divide?
• how do we keep our technology current? why don’t school rent like businesses do, thereby staying current, having IT support, having computers and networks that actually work?

How can we tackle these issues and enact positive change? I see many posts and hear comments that it is up to the district or the parents or the school or the ministry or the government to provide appropriate resources for what schools and students need, and for this I have to disagree. We are the district. We are the parents and the school. We elect the government (who supposedly represent us). We are the ones who need to be leaders of change by getting involved at school, district and higher levels. We need to be getting others involved also.

Here’s a fine example of Web 2.0 tools for professional use. And another. Here is a wiki about new literacies.