I think there are a fair number of teachers who would prefer the walled garden approach. Often times because they worry about potential risks and maybe are not comfortable handling situations with their current skill set. Web publishing tools are very easy to use and I have seen first hand how someone’s lack of knowledge regarding privacy and internet posting can cause problems. So I respect someone for knowing their limits.

A walled garden can be a nice place to start with students and teachers who have not published online for school in the past. he environment is “safe” and could lead to a transition. What would be ideal is to have a switch, controlled by the teacher that opens the gate or closes the gate.

Many thanks for your comments and post.

One issue I hadn’t considered (but which was raised in Classroom 2.0: http://tinyurl.com/4hsa28) is that of the “walled garden” — not so much in terms of protecting the information posted online (as in my university scenario), but rather the protection of the students themselves in K-12 environments.

I realize this is a hot topic for all educators, and will likely remain so as more and more communication tools are developed and adopted.

When the choice is available between using in-house or third party web tools, I wonder how many educators discuss the pros and cons of either choice with their students before making a collective decision? And how many institutions are supportive of such an approach?