As I have ponder my dream school (as I would hope that all educators do), I have considered the importance of having a way for the teachers and the stakeholders to a shared a vision. Many of my ideas on this topic come from my studies of communication theory and human resources. Another path of inspiration started years ago a friend and educational technology mentor of mine started me on the journey of discovering the power of collaborative technologies. That planted seed has started to show buds as I have a purpose in using these technologies to improve the communities I am part of and to teach students.
In his article "Learning with Blogs and Wikis by Bill Ferriter" in Educational Leadership, Bill Ferriter offers rational for the use of Blogs and Wikis, offering support and guidance for what I have only theorized were useful educational tools. This article could not have been more timely as I seek to understand and apply these technologies more.
These collaborative technologies have embeded values that are important to me. They say " I am interested in what you think", "you are an expert", "you are a writer" and so much more. Coincendently these are much the same things that we want to say to children as they learn to write and as they grow in self confidence.
Using them in an educational setting whether with teachers or students requires trust as we give the author the power of voice. Likewise the author must trust that the audience will be kind and helpful with their feedback. I believe that this level of trust will lead to more open conversations that could otherwise be had.
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