The theory of digital natives (those younger than 30 being perfectly at ease with and heavy users of technology) is busted as far as Howard Rheingold is concerned — and he’s doing something about it.

A social networking and online communications educator since the 1980s, Howard Rheingold found that when he suggested the use of blogs, wikis or other social media tools to his 21st century students, he got a lot of blank looks. And when he introduced students to these various tools – he was met with a chorus of groans over the number of different log ins and platforms as well as the awkwardness of trying to stitch these together.

He also wanted to provide a jumping off point for educators who want to go beyond the goal of just using tools — to get at the deeper literacies these technologies make possible.

His vision is now going to be a reality thanks to winning a MacArthur Foundation award — and he gives us a preview of that reality in his latest video AND the opportunity to join the community of practice once it’s been released.

A link for my mobile/RSS readers: http://vlog.rheingold.com/index.php/site/video/social-media-classroom-co-laboratory-screencast1/ or http://url.edna.edu.au/BtCM

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