Technology is often seen as a silver bullet in school reform – and we can talk all day long about how it can open up worlds of learning and blow apart the four walls of the classroom. But the potential for using online tools to transform learning falls apart if you don’t bring the teachers along in the process and adopt a school or district-wide collaborative, transparent culture. In our vision of education, Web 2.0 is more than a set of technology tools with the potential to democratize information. Education systems have to be designed to move beyond the early adopters and the wow-factor (“Giant Double Rainbow”) of new tech tools to rich, integrated and distributed learning. The most successful innovations in technology and education will not be ones designed to replace teachers, but ones designed to amplify great teaching. This panel will demonstrate what happens when technology and instruction are deeply integrated by sharing powerful stories from high school students, teachers, and leaders who on a daily basis are leading the way
