Conclusion

Since the beginnings of the American educational system the model has been a student, working alone, focused on input from the teacher. This model served students well for the industrial economy they were likely to enter. Whether educators like it or not, this model is changing. The professional world is increasingly focused on collaboration and critical thinking. At the same time, students are expecting an environment of intense interaction and sharing. Educational technology expert David Warlick says that sticking to the old non-interactive method of preparing students to do well on standardized tests in an age of interactive collaboration is dangerous. “No generation in history has ever been so thoroughly prepared for the industrial age” ([|Warlick]). New technologies such as wikis and social networking can and should be used to bring American schools and students into the 21st century.

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