Teaching / Learning in a Web 2.0 World

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Over the past year I believe I have evolved as an education technology leader. I have immersed myself in the Web 2.0 world - always looking to share and receive information from those who share similar careers and interests. It is because of this willingness to share my perspectives, ideas, thoughts and vision that I, in turn, receive the thoughts and ideas of my colleagues.

So why haven't educators (all educators) embraced this same philosophy for sharing information? If I were still in the classroom teaching and had free tools at my fingertips that allowed me to connect with similar teachers in my subject area, you bet I would take advantage of those tools and reach out to my fellow teachers - sharing lesson plans, activities, problems, etc. in hopes of receiving ten fold in return. But, for some reason this philosophy is not as common as it should be. Why? Is it because some teachers are afraid of sharing their work with others - putting it out there - afraid it isn't "good enough"? Do they simply not wish to take the extra time to participate in the social networking community?

Fortunately, our district does have a handful of teachers who openly embrace this concept and are always more than willing to share with our district teachers, as well as teachers across the world. These are the teachers I want my kids to have one day. A teacher that embraces a global education, where communities are not where you live, but rather where you go to share information, solve problems and collaborate on projects. I firmly believe once all educators embrace this philosophy - we will begin to see student engagement rise, student learning will improve and teacher excitement will be as high as ever.

To date I rely on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, LinkedIn, Blogger, Ning, Flickr and other social networking applications to convey my thoughts/information/vision. These tools allow me to connect with other CIOs and Ed Tech leaders across the globe. I could not imagine doing my job moving forward without all of these tools playing a role in my decision making process - in some way, shape or form.

So - my challenge to you. Whether you are a teacher, administrator, CIO or other faculty/staff. Seek out a personal learning network or a social networking site that is geared towards your particular subject area / area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge with others. I believe you will be amazed at what you begin to receive.

JDS | CIO