Scaffolding to help keep above the water

Having followed the link posted by Leigh I have had the following thoughts...

In this digital age it is obvious that there is more and more competition as to who is the 'expert'. In a secondary classroom an engaged student is no longer willing to follow blindly what is put in front of them - they are often checking up on or discussing the ideas within their peer group. Surely then this gives us the opportunity to extend that peer group via the now available digital medium. By developing a digital community that still contains the same fundamental structure of our class we could extend the learning outside of the limited hour but also transfer the direction and focus of the learning to the students.

But why are kids going to want to work outside of school? Many learning opportunites are likely to fall outside of or across curriculum - are they going to want to learn them? When as a teacher should there be interventions (something I had not considered but after a bit of browsing can across this study http://www.formatex.org/micte2006/Downloadable-files/oral/Scaffolding.pdf)? Cybersafety?

Don't get me wrong, the strengths are obvious - like the opportunity for contribution 24/7. Students take different times to process and internalise the learning but that doesn't mean they don't have anything to contribute. 'Experts' from around the world can contribute as we are no longer bound by time. A community that can continue to grow from year to year.

I guess as our eLearning community develops I can look for parallels...