Drape's Takes: Revisiting Students 2.0

Revisiting Students 2.0

First, let me be crystal clear: I'm a huge fan of Students 2.0. As I've said before, the students that contribute to the Students 2.0 blog are smart, connected, and excellent writers in their own right.

Second, a quick review might be in order. As of this writing:

Students 2.0: A blog written entirely by students
Students 2.0: Located at http://students2oh.org/
Since December 10, 2007: 29 posts and 3 asides
Ranked: #10 in the edublogger world
RSS subscribers: 1,091
Comments: 871
Comments per post (average): 30

Third, I have several favorite posts. Here are a few:

Nothing's Important - Arthus has an amazing way of speaking my mind. I absolutely love doing nothing.
Edupunk? - That Lindsea has some real attitude. I love it! Here's a quote that was instantly classic:

Don’t you teachers remember when you were young? Hippies? Protesters? Implementers of change? Controllers of the cool, anti-establishment, nonconformist underground culture? Can you imagine what it might feel like if a bunch of older people, outside of your culture, used your name for something completely different? And didn’t include you in the discussions of it?

Should an 18 Year Old Really Know What They're Going to Do For the Rest Of Their Life? - Sheesh, I don't even know what I'm going to do next year.
Average Just Doesn't Cut It Anymore - I think a lot of students feel this way and know that I once did, as well. My attitude changed when I proved to myself that I actually could do it. (After squeaking by throughout my entire academic career, I finished my Master's degree with a 3.98.) Now, I'm happy if I pass at all.
Global Villages - I wonder how networked our students' students will one day be.
The World Won't Wait for Rome - When I was in high school, I honestly didn't care about student voice. Dillon makes a pretty strong case for why we, as teachers, should be paying more attention.

This far into the game, however, I'm still plagued with a number of questions about Students 2.0, its vision, and its overall effectiveness. Don't get me wrong:

I love their posts, I love their thinking, I love their sharing.
They've made many teachers think (some perhaps for the first time) and have garnered a community of readers interested in changing education for the better.
They've sparked an amazing number of intriguing conversations that wouldn't pack as much punch if they hadn't been started by students.

Nevertheless, am I misguided in honestly expecting more?

Have the students of Students 2.0 effectively accomplished their purpose, and to their full potential?
If so, how have they reached their full potential?
If not, at what point will success be achieved?

"This blog is an attempt to give students a voice in where the future of education is headed."

Do students now have a voice in determining education's future?
If so, is that voice actually heard?
If so, is it making a difference?
If so, can you tell me how?
If not, what can I do to help?

Finally, with hopes of accomplishing something more, I wrote the paragraph that follows to the authors of Students 2.0 several months ago. Are these words not as valid today as they were when I first wrote them?

Never forget that everything in education is political. Yep: everything. As a result, the number of eyes that see your work will never be important if the right eyes never see it. Legislators, other leaders in government, and ultimately your parents are the people that you will need to inspire. And while your voice might be "strong", it's only one voice. Get millions of your peers to echo your thoughts, with a roar that's impossible to ignore, and you will truly succeed.

Or was/am I wrong?