Social Networks Are the R&D Teams of the Future

This morning's session "Professional Learning Networks Using Web 2.0 Tools," presented by Meg Ormiston, shared a bunch of networking tools (find the liveblogged rundown on the session's wikispace) and some big ideas:

• "Social networking for educators is about breaking down isolation. Imagine if every 2nd grade teacher was on Twitter and their network was primarily other 2nd grade teachers. It would accomplish so much more than all our binders of curriculum."

• Use Twitter and Skype in tandem to arrange for experts to speak to your staff or students (i.e., reach out to your Twitter network, "I need an expert on X to speak to my class/staff," and then schedule their availability for a Skype presentation).

• Use LibraryThing.com (or SafariU) to create professional libraries that you can share with staff.

• Video is the future of professional development. Want to know how to use some of these new Web 2.0 tools? YouTube. For example, Meg wanted to know how to use Google SketchUp, and found one printed book and 3000+ YouTube videos on how to use SketchUp. 

• "Also, for struggling learners—is the goal for kids to struggle with the book, or learn about gravity? We need to open up YouTube for teacher use.

This is the world we live in—especially our students and new teachers—we need to educate on how to use social networking responsibility, and use it."

Ormistan covered a variety of Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) and emphasized that harnessing the wisdom of crowds is the future of improving educational practices.

How are you using Web 2.0 to network with your colleagues? Have you seen benefits, resistance, or challenges to using Web 2.0 among educators?