“Where are we going to eat today? My third period class is huge! Are we going to have time to work in our rooms?” If I were a cartoon character, these are the quotes that would have appeared in the thought bubbles over my head while I was participating in professional development last fall. Much of the information that was presented was redundant or was centered on disaggregation of test scores. While important, these topics did little to motivate and invigorate me about the upcoming school year. Wikis and blogs offer educators a forum capable of personalizing their professional conversations.
According to Bill Ferriter in Learning with Blogs and Wikis, No Child Left Behind has caused meaningful professional conversations to be “pushed aside” because educators are too busy. While I do believe NCLB has had an impact on professional development, I believe that educators would be motivated and find time to have these meaningful experiences if they could choose the topics that interested them. Blogs and wikis allow educators to decide what interests them and allows them to communicate with people who share their interests.
Ferriter goes on to describe the learning with blogs and wikis as “uniquely authentic, driven by personal interests and connected to classroom realities.” Discovering wikis was the last thing I can remember that truly rejuvenated my teaching. I had been looking for a way for my students to digitally interact with each other outside of class. Then, I found professional wikis, and the possibilities blossomed. I am really interested to research educational blogs and find a few to follow as the article suggested.
Wikis and blogs are Web 2.0 tools that allow educators a very powerful way to communicate about their profession and collaborate with each other. These tools can be used in a way that teachers can individualize their professional learning and grow in their teaching. Because they can be used at any time, educators can find their own time to participate.
Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with blogs and wikis. Educational Leadership, 66(05), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Learning_with_Blogs_and_Wikis.aspx
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