The Jan. 16 program, moderated by ed-tech consultant Karen Greenwood Henke, focused on how schools can use Web 2.0 tools to foster collaboration and innovation in classrooms.

"We cannot ignore this phenomenon," said Susan Brooks-Young, a Web 2.0 consultant who works with schools on technology programs and integration. Educators should "look at the instructionally sound ways to bring [Web 2.0 tools] in, and help both teachers and kids make the best use of this technology."

Web 2.0 technologies "lend themselves very well to teaching 21st-century learning skills, and our job is to prepare kids for the workforce they'll be facing when they leave school," Brooks-Young added.

The use of Web 2.0 technologies is all about information, she said. These online communication tools extend learning beyond the regular school day and let users share ideas for group projects and other tasks; for example, students and teachers can have anytime, anywhere access to projects or assignments with Google's free Documents tool.

Although online video sites are among the fastest-growing destinations on the internet, Brooks-Young noted that inappropriate content can be a deterrent for school use.

"Take advantage of sites like SchoolTube, which support collaboration but also teach responsible use of [video] sharing," she recommended.

Another site, called VoiceThread, allows users to post files, such as images or documents, and make verbal or text comments about each posted file.

Jing Project is a web site that lets users incorporate certain things into a live narration, by creating still and video tutorials or by capturing and annotating screen shots. Another classroom-friendly site is AirSet, which lets users become organized and stay in touch using Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and photo and file sharing.

Such collaborative web sites often are banned in schools, webcast participants said, because administrators aren't familiar with Web 2.0 trends and tend to overblock sites out of caution. To avoid this problem, educators can view a series of eight three- to five-minute videos, called In Plain English, by CommonCraft, which explain basic Web 2.0 concepts.

"It's not just about the 'stuff' of technology, it's about the opportunities for learning that the technology provides," said Connie Sitterley, the director of instructional technology at Penncrest School District, a combination of four independent Pennsylvania school districts that merged. The consolidated district serves about 3,800 K-12 students.

Penncrest's technology plan includes goals for the collaborative use of technology by staff and students. The district does not provide computers for every student, and many students still use dial-up connections to access the internet, but because its technology department has a collaborative relationship with curriculum coordinators, technology experiences are ensured for all students, Sitterley said.