If things continue as is, we will mimic China in that the majority of the internet will be blocked at school. They (our administration and internet providers) have filtered/blocked more and more sites each year at my school to the point that I can't even go to a news site like the New York Times while at school. I am writing this from home because I can't access all areas of edutopia from school either (because comments can be made on the site I am told); what a load of manure. Instead of keeping things open and teaching students how to discern the good from the bad, we assume that all students lack judgement and are going to make the worst possible decision. So we automatically block anything with the remotest possibility of having "questionable" content. We become a smaller version of China who doesn't trust its citizens enough to let them exercise choice. The "powers that be" need to either quit tying our hands with this idiotic, restrictive filtering, or just get rid of the internet in schools completely because the "slimmed-down" internet we can currently access isn't worth the cost.

One thing I think is missing in the predictions is more free education. Math texts are a good example. The internet makes possible collaboratively developed texts and workbooks with online components similar to current textbooks, but with material that is continuously audited for errors and can guide students through different paths appropriate for the skill level of each. While there are calls for differential teaching, a fixed textbook can not readily meet this requirement. Students can work ahead, but they can not work deeper. Think of the difference between a module on geometry that covers the Pythagorean theorem and sticks mostly to 3-4-5 triangles in the plane to one that covers right triangles in the plane and in space and proves facts about triangles inscribed in circles, etc. While the first may cover the grade level requirements, the latter may be more appropriate for some students. Hardcopy is invariable targeted toward the minimum for there is virtually no limit to how deep on can pursue a topic. Online collaborative texts have the potential to be that limitless well.

I was wondering if Edutopia will publish 10 new predictions for 2009, because I found the predictions of 2008 really interesting. Next to that, I am still wondering if the Wiki concept (of Mrs. Maine) was implemented successfully in other classes.

Just curious and I hope to get a response! Thanks in advance

Samen, from the Netherlands.