The first annual "K12 Online 2006" convention was held in October 2006 as an experiment in applying Web 2.0 technology to the global classroom. Educators from every continent volunteered to develop each learning thread and moderated discussions. "K12 Online 2006" demonstrated the power of online collaboration in the hands of teachers, administrators and educators around the world who are interested in using Web 2.0 tools to create global classrooms and enhance their professional development.

The culminating event, When Night Falls, spanned the world’s time zones with a chain of skypecasts stretched over a 24 hour period. The objective of When Night Falls gave participants an opportunity to share reflections, build social networks, and connect with each other. The connections people made at K12 Online are growing into global collaborations for students and support networks for educators as they continue to push the envelope of teaching and learning in the 21st century.

In February, 2007, The Pew Internet & American Life Project published new research on teens’ use of the Internet and how public libraries are changing their culture. The two reports reported that:

• 93% of American teens 12 to 17 use the Internet
• 73% of all families have broadband at home.
• 57% of teens have created content online.
• 19% of teens have their own blogs.
• 50% of teens have gone online from a library
• 98.4% of libraries in the U.S. have Internet access.
• Teens are technology rich.

As teens bring their expectations to schools, teachers and educators have an opportunity to use wireline and wireless technologies to transform learning.

"K12 Online 2006" presented two themes each week and published four new presentations each day over the two weeks. In addition, the conference was launched with a pre-conference keynote and live, synchronous web event. Each presentation was delivered in podcast or screen cast format and released via the conference blog at www.k12onlineconference.org

The "K12 Online 2006" conference demonstrated how Web 2.0 technology can be used to take advantage of instant messaging, blogs, video broadcasting, podcasting, wikis, RSS feeds, and social bookmarking sites to support collaboration among educators.

These presentations focused on the practical uses of online social tools (Web 2.0) giving concrete examples of how teachers use the tools in their classes. They also show how teachers plan to use these tools in curricular objectives.

Basic training is "how to" information on Web 2.0 tool use in an educational setting, especially for newcomers.

Advanced training is for teachers who are using Web 2.0 tools in their classes and are looking for:

(a) advanced technology training (e.g. how to write your own blog template or hack existing ones)

(b) New tools they can make use of in their classes,

(c) Teaching ideas on how to mash tools together to create "something new"

(d) a pedagogical understanding of how technologies such as Web logs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking sites, RSS feeds and others can deepen learning and increase student achievement, or

(e) use of assessment tools to measure the effectiveness of Read/Write Web technologies in their personal practice and with their students.

Tips, ideas and resources on how to orchestrate educator’s professional development online; the tools that support Professional Learning Environments (PLE); how to create opportunities to bring these technologies to the larger school community; how to effectively incorporate the tools into your personal or professional practice; or how to create a supportive, reflective virtual professional community around school-based goals.

Tips, ideas and resources on how to deal with issues like: lack of access to tools/computers, filtering, parental/district concerns for online safety, and other IT concerns while trying to focus on best practice in the use of Web 2.0 tools.

One of the critical challenges educators work to overcome is gaining knowledge about current best practices in education and the knowledge of how to harness technology to engage the curiosity and enthusiasm of students and teachers.

Wikipedia defines Web 2.0 as the Read/Write Web: "a perceived second generation of Web-based services such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users."

Read/write web tools focus on web-based tools (server-based rather than client-based.) Educators, schools, and libraries must use Internet access to develop Web 2.0 tools for their curricula.

The essential building blocks for using Web 2.0 in the classroom are Internet access and bandwidth. Schools need to support their computer labs and provide sufficient bandwidth for students and faculty who have desktops, laptops, digital cameras, and a desire to learn more.

In the five months since "K12 Online 2006", more than 70,000 visitors from every continent have come to the conference site to view archived presentations, listen to podcasts, and utilize the training materials.

In order to win support for a large scale 21st Century educational program, schools must have teachers who are more than comfortable with technology. In addition, it is constructive as well as powerful for schools to compare themselves not only to geographically close neighbor districts, but also best-in-class innovative school districts which may be across the continent or on the other side of the world. In 2006 the Trussville (Alabama) Educational Technology Conference (TECT) was organized by district leaders to give teachers 4 hours of technology professional development during a teacher workday. The conference taught teachers how to maintain their SharePoint webpages, how to use wireless laptops, and a variety of Web 2.0 skills. The majority of teachers had never heard of blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarks, and other Web 2.0 resources prior to this professional development training event. Historically, the logistics of providing seating for all teachers in the district in a traditional conference setting had been challenging. Trussville realized the need to bring in exemplary educators who use Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms. A plan was developed for a blended conference for TETC 2007. The conference included 10 live presenters and moderators to assist with the delivery of the presentations chosen from the K12 Online Conference. Conference materials included videos created by students, VoIP conferences from China, and much more! The teachers attended three presentations they previously selected utilizing their wireless laptops to gain knowledge of Web 2.0 skills in their sessions, and facilitators led discussions with teachers focused on the themes of each session.

Across the U.S., teachers in K-12 education are responsible for preparing their students to move to the next level. For students this means moving to the next grade, preparing for higher education, and selecting a career. Teachers and schools must also compete for the time and attention of their students by providing coursework that is engaging.

Today’s teenagers grew up online and are the first generation of "digital natives". This generation of students has experiences and expectations that outpace the schools and educators who are charged with their learning.

Marc Prensky is generally regarded as the first person to coin the phrase "Digital Native" in 2001 with his article, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants".

A growing majority of K-12 students have desktop computers, laptop computers, portable media players, cell phones and broadband access at home. The numbers are growing year over year. Large numbers of students use online social networking, create their own blogs, and organize content online.

Virtually all high value careers are dependent on information and communications technology. Coursework in engineering, accounting, and healthcare require students to become competent with IT. The digital divide in education is the widening gap between digital natives and everyone else who is still trying to understand what the Internet is for. The challenge of bridging the digital knowledge divides which separate individuals of different ages requires more than training: It requires each person to develop and cultivate a "Personal Learning Community" which provides ongoing support of learning and professional development. The K-12 Online Conference was specifically oriented toward cultivating these personal learning community connections among both presenters and participants. The blended learning model of K-12 Online offers powerful example of ways professional learning can be customized and extended over time to facilitate personal growth as well as shared learning experiences.

As the current wave of students leave high school for college and the workplace, educators and employers should be aware that these digital natives are using digital devices of all types and have experience creating and managing digital media. The serious gamers can build a LAN with ease and perform their own maintenance and upgrades. This generation of students has limited interest in out-of-date analog technologies and no use for slow moving narrowband networks. The majority of these digital natives get their news online, watch video online, and chat with their friends and families using instant messaging and VoIP. This group has grown up using the web as a study aid and a social networking medium.

The basic objectives of traditional education in many contexts have not been changed yet by communication technologies. The majority of classrooms in U.S. public schools continues to use Internet-based technologies to access information and support the traditional curriculum rather than collaborate and help students cultivate 21st century literacy skills through their creative uses of digital technologies. 21st century education can and should bring diverse people and ideas together to transfer knowledge and provide authentic, engaging and relevant contexts for collaborative learning. In the 21st century, students and teachers should be increasingly working together in a global context. Many of the highest paid and most desirable occupations require 21st century technology skills. The information age allows teachers and students to reach beyond the borders of local schools and libraries to hear the voices of other communities around the world, and share their own voices in constructive rather than destructive ways. When reading about history, writing about geography, or learning to use math to measure distance and population, collaboration is a powerful tool for hearing, seeing, and learning about people around the world. The K-12 Online Conference provided a wonderful forum for educators to develop their own capacities to facilitate learning in these types of blended, technology-infused environments with students.

Students need to be taught to use the Web, just as they are taught to drive a car or use advanced software in the lab. Students who are educated about the potential and pitfalls of the web are empowered to use it effectively and safely. Students who create blogs and tag content have experienced the consequences of publishing their own writing to a worldwide audience. The benefits can be enormous as the Web is a powerful medium for sharing common areas of interest. The web is the world’s largest billboard. Students should be taught to post only information that is appropriate for the entire public. Anyone can see individual web pages, including teachers, law enforcement officials, college or university admissions officers, or potential employers. What is posted on a website today may be harmful in the future. Students should be aware that posting inappropriate photos and videos can lead to damaged reputations and unwanted attention. Students should consider the impact of posting images online by using Web cams, videos, and camera phones. Posting inappropriate content such as explicit photos or text messages can attract individuals who have bad intentions towards the user, putting them at risk. In addition, posting or viewing explicit content can lead to suspension or expulsion from school.

Just as many schools provide hands-on practice experiences as part of formal driver's education courses, schools also need to provide opportunities for students to practice safe digital social networking. Many of the web 2.0 tools addressed in the K-12 Online Conference permit teachers to moderate student digital conversations and serve as "gatekeepers" for information published out to the world. Examples of blogging tools which provide this level of control include WordPress, Blogger, and Class Blogmeister. Ultimately, however, schools need to help prepare students to become their own "content filters" for information they both access and publish on the global stage which is the World-Wide Web.

The U.S. eRate program has spent $2.25 billion per year over the past nine years. Total dollars spent by eRate over the past nine years is $20.25 billion. Schools in the U.S. spend a lot of money on technology every year. eRate has successfully wired 99% of schools in the U.S. However, eRate dollars do not apply toward purchasing laptops or other handheld computers for students. eRate is focused on connectivity and wiring. Schools: Some eRate funds can be used for purchasing videoconferencing equipment but no funds are available for student computers.

One to One learning projects like One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and The Technology Immersion Project are exciting, because these projects put technology into the hands of learner. As long as information technologies remain primarily in the hands of teachers, no one should expect much to change fast in our schools.

Recent surveys of teenagers prove that young people in the K-12 education system have access to a variety of digital devices including desktop computers, laptops, portable media players, cell phones, and personal digital assistants. As educators evaluate their needs, it is timely to consider network access as a top priority.

There is an important difference between accommodating versus transforming uses of communications technology in schools and education. Often, educators advocate for technology use so traditional school can be done more efficiently. Transmission-based models of education can certainly be supported in powerful ways with different technologies, but those are not the examples of technology integration that will transform education.

Network bandwidth is an essential building block for giving students access to the tools, applications, and resources on the World Wide Web.

E-Rate is the common name for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism. E-Rate provides discounts to assist schools and libraries to obtain affordable internal connections, telecommunication services and Internet access. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) administers the program at the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). USAC’s Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) administers the program.

Eligible digital transmission technologies include, but are not limited to:

• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• DS-2, DS-3\par
• Fiber optics\par
• Frame Relay\par
• Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN, BRI, PRI)
• OC-3, OC-12, OC-n
• Satellite service
• Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS)
• T-1, T-2, T-3, Fractional T-1
• Wireless

In the past six to eight months, bandwidth consumption patterns in K-12 schools have shifted significantly as a greater volume of web-based videos have moved to the Flash format. In January 2007, Bret Swanson referenced predictions of a coming "exoflood" of content online given the proliferation of video sites like YouTube.com, TeacherTube.com, and others. School districts need to prepare in their short as well as long range technology plans for not simply doubling or tripling their available bandwidth to the commodity Internet, but in many cases increasing by factors of 10, 20 or even 30. School districts still relying on single T-1 connections for Internet connectivity will not simply need 3 or 6 MB connections to the web, but 100 MB or several 100 MB connections to handle the volume of requested Internet traffic, particularly from student digital devices.

Teens are comfortable with desktop computers, laptops, portable media players, cell phones, and personal digital assistants. As educators develop curricula to meet the needs of a twenty first century workforce, it is time to implement Web 2.0 tools and applications into the classroom experience. Most professional occupations depend on a fluency in information and communications technology. By placing technology in the hands of students, K12 schools and educators can better prepare students for a more successful future.

K12 Online 2006 - 2007
http://www.k12onlineconference.org/

Pew Internet & American Life Project
http://www.pewInternet.org/about.asp

Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
http://site.aace.org/

Association for Advancement of Computing in Education
http://www.aace.org/

Teach Digital
http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/

AT&T K12
http://www.corp.att.com/edu/k12/

Digital Natives Digital Immigrants
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

The Wall Street Journal
http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=3869

Trussville City Schools (Alabama)
http://www.trussvillecityschools.com/BOE/Technology/Pages/TETC%202007%20Schedule.aspx

One Laptop Per Child
http://www.laptop.org/

The Technology Immersion Project
http://www.txtip.info/