The title of the article itself says world has no walls anymore. The web tools have brought people from almost every continent and country closer. People share their ideas and volunteer to assist others online. These web tools are allowing us not only to mine the wisdom and experiences of the more than one billion people online but also to connect with them to further our understanding of the global experience and do good work together.
The article emphasizes that today's age is "Collaboration Age" and we learn well when we work together. It is about learning with a different groups of people, whom we may not know and may never meet, but who share our passions and interests and are willing to invest in exploring them together. It is about solving problems together and sharing the knowledge we've gained with wide audiences. Working together is becoming the norm, not the exception.
In this collaboration age we as educators need to reconsider our roles in student's lives, to think of ourselves as connectors first and content experts second. As connectors we provide the chance for kids to get better at learning from one another. Students can use blogs,wiki, skype, instant messaging and other tools to connect with others and discuss literature and current events. The web's social-networking can be used to teach global collaboration and communication, allowing students to create their own networks in the process.
These social web tools (wiki, blogs, social-bookmarking sites) are called "weapons of mass collaboration" by the author, as they make working with others across time and space easier than it's ever been.
In spite of some challenges, concerns and fears of using web tools by students (whether they are safe, effective and ethical) the author says that disconnecting the students from technology means disconnecting them from their passion and those who share it.
We must know for ourselves and model for our students how to create, grow and navigate these collaborative spaces in safe, effective and ethical ways. We grow when we learn together.
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So true! I shall collaborate with you via blog about our interest in technology and education :)! I love the idea of teachers being connectors first and content experts second. I'll need to put that where I can read it often...plan book, computer screen, desk...I struggle with trying to constantly protect them online while they work collaboratively with others. We will just need to keep watching where they go online, and protect their identity.
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