The way in which the Internet and related technologies have exploded in the last few years is something that no one in education can ignore. Primary school pupils are already more technologically savvy than their parents and they expect their lessons to be exciting, interactive and driven by some aspect of technology. And so they should be. These days, teachers are far more likely to open up a virtual learning environment (VLE) or connect to a virtual learning space to interact with their pupils, as this has become a communal area where learners can develop their learning and contribute their knowledge for others, for example in wikis. It is the use of Web 2.0 technology, that is technology that allows many users to contribute and interact, which is enabling this to happen. The author believes that a key challenge for science education today is to adapt to the use of these new technologies and convince others of their educational value. Technologies such as virtual worlds are new and exciting and they are challenging the boundary between the real world and the virtual one. However, they are mistakenly often thought of as the preserve of the higher education sector. (Contains 2 figures, 1 table and 6 online resources.)