Just as cars and planes move people, the internet is a great way of moving information. But, there seems to be a lot of work being done using electronic tools in an inefficient way. It’s like using a plane to drive around on the ground, not knowing that your technology can now fly.

Birds Can Walk

In 1806 the first cars powered by an internal-combustion engine appeared, and a completely new paradigm of travel was ready for mass-production.

Similarly when personal computers got underway, everyone could create and store digital work electronically. And when synergised with the internet we could store and share that data across networks of electronic devices.

But that was Web 1.0; the internet was static; the bird didn’t have wings yet.

Birds Can Fly

In 1903 the Wright brothers achieved sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight. They used an internal-combustion engine, but added aerodynamic technology to create a new travel paradigm.

Similarly, Web 2.0 uses interactive technologies to allow us to create and share digital work in one step. Documents are “live”, shared and edited from any online device.

Now the bird had wings, and it could fly.

Some Birds Don’t Fly

But just because you have the technology, doesn’t mean everyone will use it.

Today most people learn to drive a car to transport themself, and some may even know how to change the oil of their internal-combustion engine. A much smaller group will learn how to fly a plane. The majority don’t learn to fly because of

• the expense of learning
• the expense of acquiring and maintaining the technology
• lack of knowledge and skills required
• lack of understanding the benefits
• lack of interest

When we think of the Web, lot’s of people can consume Web 1.0 content, and successfully navigate through websites and webpages. Some might even know how to write simple HTML and CSS. But it seems that few learn how to use Web 2.0 technology, using blogs, podcasts, RSS, or wikis. And since these technologies are free, this could be because of

• lack of knowledge and skills required
• lack of understanding of the benefits
• lack of interest

An simple example of this is when text and image data are created and formatted as paged documents using software like Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. They could be the minutes from a meeting, or a newsletter for parents. The document is usually stored on a file server or web server, but it can’t be displayed simply in a browser, it needs to be opened using proprietary software.

This isn’t the most efficient way to store, share, or search data. It’s a duplication of data and data processes, and is like using a plane to drive from Sydney to Perth.

Will They Ever Fly?

To successfully integrate Web 2.0 technology I think we need to get away from the shackles of print media. The page was invented to make it easier to publish and distribute books on paper. But if we aren’t using paper, why are we still using pages?

Do education leaders need to further promote the knowledge and skills? Increase an understanding of the benefits? Overcome a lack of interest?

Old habits are hard to break. It may be a generational change before the knowledge, skills, understanding, and interest, enables an integration of Web 2.0 technologies into mainstream education. Just as it took 30 years for the telephone, television, videocassette recorder, and mobile phone to become common-place after their invention, we might have to wait until the children of today become the teachers of tomorrow.