I’m an educator who has embraced the Read/Write web because of the wonderful power of the free Web 2.0 tools that are proliferating. Some of these tools facilitate professional collaboration and professional development. Best of all, many of these tools are creating the opportunity for learners without strong traditional academic skills to succeed in school. No matter how much frustration they cause developers, they just won’t go away.

There are far too many otherwise smart students who fail in school because: they aren’t good at processing words coming at them from the front of a room, they aren’t good at processing written words, and they aren’t good at taking tests. Online applications that facilitate digital storytelling illustrate a powerfully motivating way to engage students who have previously failed in school and give them alternative means of representing their learning.

I’m an educator who blogs, regularly creates and uses wikis, networks via Twitter, promotes the use of interactive online educational resources, etc. I’m completely frustrated that my church has no vision for using any of these tools. I’m frustrated that our pastors and church leaders mostly have strong academic skills, so they expect the folks in their pews to be like them. We now have tools to help engage and reach many people who have been left cold by the traditional approaches of the church. Just think about the infinite range of possibilities with digital storytelling alone!