The Edge of Tomorrow

David Snyder

Who is Ben Grey, author of the blog The Edge of Tomorrow? "No one of any real consequence," he says. "I’m but another voice amongst the din clamoring for more change in the way we experience education throughout the world." An instructional technology coordinator, Grey may not be a big name, but he has some keen insight into the potential and the pitfalls of ed tech.

For instance, Grey disagrees with the practice of teaching students about new technologies, such as digital video editing, outside of the regular classroom, preferring rather that such training be embedded in the curriculum to ensure that students have common experiences and exposure.

Grey also takes aim at the popular term "Web 2.0," which he feels "does much more to deter understanding than provide any functional enlightenment." Having seen many teachers feel alienated and confused by the term, he suggests using specific terms such as wikis and social networks instead, reasoning that such clarity would help teachers more easily see the value of the tools and understand how to integrate them into their teaching.

David Snyder is a librarian in ASCD's Information Resource Center.