Technology in Schools
1) Humans are creatures of habit. When they are used to one form of communication, they usually stick to it. It shouldn't come as a surprise that teenagers now-a-days are at the forefront of using the web to gather information. But you also have to keep in mind that there are kids out there that are complete newbies to these forms of communication, and may not be comfortable posting/finding info on the internet. If schools never teach these kids about what is available to them, they would be more and more segregated from the masses that do. Teaching them how to use such forms of communication is just as important as teaching them how to utilize it safely and responsibly.
2) The fact that institutions that receive federal funding are prohibited from using existing web infrastructures is extremely dumbfounding. These are sites people are accustomed to, and I think to encourage students to join, you need to stick to what they have used before. Creating a brand new portal for students is extremely costly, both for the government and the institutions, and does not guarantee success. Instead of recreating a model that already works they should work with what is available. If students are inclined to join existing public spaces, then the government should work with these companies to make them more secure, not excluding them from the process.
3) I think making technology available to everybody will be the next challenge for schools. Again, we don't want people to lose out on the opportunity to benefit from these mediums. Providing affordable access to such technologies will not only level the playing field for those less fortunate, but also provide students with more confidence in dealing with the web, which is an integral part of doing business these days. That is why projects such as creating the $100 laptop is so important.
4) Technology should be used to supplant existing teaching methods instead of replacing them. How successful a person is in the world really comes down to how well they deal with people. Being able to communicate over the web will take you far, but having person-to-person interaction is still what drives most relationships. I took an all on-line course during college - the subject was easy - but I did terrible, because there was nothing in it for me except filling my credit requirement. I knew nothing about my teacher, nothing about my classmates. Some people can work that way, but for me the inter-personal relationship is what ultimately makes things work.