I finished Here Comes Everybody:Organizing without Organizations by Clay Shirkey over the weekend. It is an easy-to-read story about the power of the Internet for groups of people. He provides numerous examples of how free web based technologies have "out-done" traditional business models:
- - Wikipedia vs Encarta
- - Linux vs Windows
- - Perl vs C++
- - Flickr Photo Sharing vs Company that approves photos (cannot remember name; they didn't make it).
- - Youtube vs DVDs that you purchase
As I read the book, I thought about all the different online communities and groups I "belong" to: Twitter and Plurk (ed tech community), Facebook (friends, relatives, some ed tech folks), Geocaching (other geocachers), MACUL Space (educators in Michigan interested in ed tech), One-to-One Institute (those involved in 1:1 laptop programs), Daily Mile edurunners (educators who run or walk), Flickr EdTech 365 (educators who enjoy photography and share one photo per day), Shelfari (those who like to read), Diigo Educators (educators share favorite websites). There are probably even more than that, but these are the online communities in which I am most active. None require costs, just people with like minds with a shared interest. The communities monitor themselves for the most part. Sharing is the name of the game; you share your talents with others and they will share theirs with you.
Many people I know have never experienced online learning communities, and therefore tend to only believe in more traditional methods of learning interactions (face to face). Businesses are starting to understand the power of the Internet for marketing and connecting with customers. If you don't understand how online communities could possibly work without anyone in charge, read the book, and it will soon make sense!
These new tools are powerful; they allow multiple ways for us to collaborate and connect with others. If you have not yet experienced an online community that helps you learn and grow, it's time to jump on board!
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