While I find the opportunity to connect with tech-savvy peers within a community of learners to be affirming, I’m wondering if our interactions could be more ‘challenging’?

Rather than sharing cool links; pertinent video mashups; and ‘great reads’, I’d like to connect more readily with people questioning the adoption of various technologies…. Trouble is, most are doing this type of questioning in the staffroom, rather than in the blogosphere.

It completely meshes with the quotation that you cited, Will:
“…young people are taking better advantage of social tools, extending their capabilities in ways that violate old models…”

Here is a quote from the article:
“It sends a clear signal to all the kids that innovation is not only frowned upon but will be punished and that if you use emerging technologies in innovative ways, you risk being expelled from the school.”

So many on all fronts are struggling with change.

Training teachers and students to be effective in networking/developing talent is only part of the necessary change. I work in a district where Ustream is blocked because of “broadband issues.” We forbid cell phones. Teachers do not have access to Skype. Our Polycom system collects dust most of the time. I say this not to complain — I believe that most schools are similarly limited. We have to press for changes in infrastructure so we can handle this new way of doing business. Lately, I hear so much about trying to get teachers to change the way they think, but I worry that we are not doing enough to prepare the way for them. I’d love to see folks like John Hagel address our communities, our school boards, our administrations, our IT departments. When the way is clear, more teachers will travel on the new road.

A quick bounce - what a crazy break / tear / gap there will be (is!) between students who are unconsciously competent with social tools / digital grouping and schools who are still fighting the calculator.

I know there’s been talk of this, but an adoption curve assessment would be fascinating. To be able to plot relative resistance (whether it’s philosophical or infrastructure) of various schools at various age levels might help schools see the tidal wave and differentiate between fads and change. Institutionally, this is a very tricky game. (At least open source and web apps are dropping the costs of being wrong.)

For a great example of this gap at work - check out this blog on students handling their own orientation before college and ripping the communication channels away from the institution.