Prosumer in the Classroom

I was also searching for more all-encompassing coverage of educational classroom structuring when I ran across this article about "prosumers". It is an idea that seems very similar to this week's assignment to design a product. In the blog, Bob Sprankle explains how business is involving the consumer in redesign and then explains how this could apply in a classroom. In my years as a special ed teacher and all the lip service to "individualize instruction", let me be honest and say it didn't happen - without the technology and this open idea sharing, I had no idea of how to truly individualize. The other huge impact of this classroom technique, from a teacher's point of view, is that I wouldn't have CONTROL!!! Let's be honest again and say that it would take a very talented and secure teacher to follow up with this prosumer technique. And I think I'm there! How are less experienced teachers feeling about this idea?

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/2008/06/4_weeks_to_a_flatter_us.html#more