The line between socializing for entertainment and socializing for education is becoming more and more blurred.  Think about it – when we were kids, there was a great divide between using the computer as a ‘learning tool’ and using it for entertainment.  We either played  computer games and talked on AIM, OR we used online encyclopedias and Microsoft word to write our papers.

As concepts like Schoology become embraced, chat rooms and computer games are turning into learning tools.  Online encyclopedias are being replaced with online discussion rooms that encourage open discourse around existing ideas, and solo efforts on Microsoft Word are quickly becoming supplanted by collaborative document development and management.

Today, it seems to be a popular modern trend to rejecting the concept of the 40 hour work week, but this wouldn’t even be necessary if work didn’t always feel so much like WORK.  For students, this has never been truer, and what’s exciting is that the technology tools that are taking over the classroom are turning education into something that feels a lot less like drudgery and a lot more like something kids will want to spend their free time on.

“Get Excited about Education Technology” continues as a two part series. To read more, check out “Get Excited about Education Technology – Part II”