Response to Will Richardson

I loved the young man's quote about how his online network allows more people to see his work, providing him with more feedback. I think that giving our students these types of resources to branch out is amazing. I love the idea that students can go out and find their own "teachers." My only worry with this is how dangerous the web can sometimes be and how easy it is for students to reach out to, potentially, the wrong people. I think that schools and parents need to focus on educating their children about how to properly utilize the web and its infinite resources.
I like that Will Richardson says that schools have become places for "test prep." This is all too real in this day and age of high stakes testing. Schools need to find a way to rearrange the way they teach and utilize the resources that are out there for kids. I agree that students need a place to solve real-world problems and create and innovate. With that said, I do not agree that test prep needs to, or can, completely go away. There is a place for the lecture and for the computer, but we need to strike a balance between the two. I honestly do not know how or when that will happen; it is a lofty goal but one with well-meaning intentions.