Developments in Education

It's not only the developments in education that are mind-boggling, or should that be mind-blogging, but the speed at which innovations are taking place. There is still a strong tradition of face-to-face teaching and the benefits of this to the 'whole' student should not be overlooked. Children and students need models of behaviour and it's harder to achieve this via websites, moogles, blogs etc than face-to-face. That's not to say it cannot be done: it's just harder.
As educators we also need to remember that children and students are not empty vessels to be filled with whatever data teachers wish to provide. They are discerning, prejudicial beings with preferences and dislikes. This however is where technology can be a further enabler: by providing students with alternatives, different experiences and opportunities to build their own learning vehicles. For many children, educators will have to be prepared to fill new niches and build new Vygotskian zones while for other children, the greater need is for us to improve our interpersonal and supportive skills. History and Plato, inform us that children and students do not change but the learning environment does.
Technology is therefore a learning opportunity for us all to learn from each other and, apart from valuable life experience, can often put student and teacher on the same platform.