It’s a different kind of social network. These students aren’t on Facebook talking about music and relationships and fashion and popular culture. While they’re probably interested in these things, their new network, Students 2.0, has a higher purpose. They want to be taken seriously by adults. They have opinions on technology and learning in the 21st century. As the silent majority, they offer a perspective not often heard in education circles — the perspective of the student.

The introductory video puts the education world on notice: “Be prepared. We won’t be raising our hands anymore.” While they’re generally respectful of adults, and empathetic about current teaching practice, they’re also making it clear that some things are going to need to change. Their site, which launches December 10, is described this way:

Administered, designed, edited, and written by a global mix of students of varying ages, interests, voices, and points of view, Students 2.0 will feature content written by both staff writers and guest contributors. From Hawaii and Washington, from St. Louis and Chicago, from Vermont, New York, Scotland, Korea, and other points on the globe, these writings will be united in one central aspect: quality student writing, full-voiced and engaging, about education.

The moment for a student-centered edublogosphere has come. The staff at Students 2.0 invite their adult partners in education to treat their posts as they treat all others: as serious writing, as invitations to their readers to listen, reflect, agree, disagree, extend ideas – and above all, to create new possibilities, understandings, and insights in education.

They’re doing this by starting a blog. The eight student contributors will each write a few posts per month. All posts will be peer-reviewed prior to being posted. Everyone involved with creating, managing, writing, and editing the site is a student between 12-18. They’re encouraging comments and discussion about their posts, and hope to create a conversation where students, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders can rationally and openly discuss issues facing education and technology in our time.  If you’re using RSS, you can grab one of their many feeds. If not, visit the site and see what these students have to say.