Infromative Reading: Learning with Blogs and Wikis

Learning with Blogs and Wikis. Bill Ferriter. ASCD Educational Leadership. Online February 2009.Technology has made it easy for educators to embrace continual professional development. … Times have changed in two significant ways, … First, there's a new emphasis on the importance of collaborative learning among members of close-knit teams in schools. … Second, digital tools now help fulfill Elmore's desire for fresh "portals through which new knowledge about teaching and learning can enter schools." Specifically, thousands of accomplished educators are now writing blogs about teaching and learning, bringing transparency to both the art and the science of their practice. In every content area and grade level and in schools of varying sizes and from different geographic locations, educators are actively reflecting on instruction, challenging assumptions, questioning policies, offering advice, designing solutions, and learning together. And all this collective knowledge is readily available for free. …