A discussion about current educational trends

I recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Bill Selak, a teacher and educational technologist in California.  We discussed current trends in education, online learning, and technology.  One of the most important points that arose during the interview was the importance of collaboration and the role technology plays.   Collaboration through the use of blogs, discussion boards, and social networks plays a key role in how Bill approaches his role as an educator.  For example, he uses the social network Twitter to connect with a vast support network of educators.  This connectivity enables him to post questions or ideas and receive almost instantaneous responses.  When applied to teaching and learning, this concept embodies the idea of “it takes a village to raise a child” to new dimensions by multiplying the teaching knowledge base exponentially.  Additionally, the potential for collaborative resources like wikis and open source documents shows promise as an emerging technology.  The ability to continuously edit, revise, and update the material lends itself to the benefits of maintaining currency and relevance in educational texts.  Though there may be concern from some about the validity of the information found in wiki-like sources, Bill had found that those responsible for maintain and editing the wiki take great responsibility in assuring that it is accurate.  The potential implications of just these two examples of collaboration to online learning are significant.  Online learning environments are typically very interactive and promote collaboration at some level.  The collaborative efforts encouraged through online learning can be greatly enhanced by resources with the most current and accurate information, whether a text or a network of professional learners and educators.  Current and future educators will benefit by building and using collaborative resources.