Virtual Communities

When we create content on the internet, we are doing more than presenting words, images, and sounds. We are opening ourselves up to comments, feedback, and reactions. In short, we are often creating interactive spaces through which we can create, strengthen, develop, and even weaken relationships (perhaps this can be seen most clearly in the phenomenon of couples breaking up over facebook or myspace).

Even in this class, we are forming a small virtual community. We can all link to each other's webpages and blogs, comment and send each other emails, and take comfort in seeing others deal with the same challenges that we encounter. We can share ideas and borrow ideas at our own convenience, carrying on an extremely valuable conversation at a pace that is personal and in a way that is documented and can be referenced in the future. What a thrilling resource for teachers to have - fingertip access to so many other teachers.

These technologies can be used to great effect in a classroom. Students can access other students, their teachers, and a seemingly infinite body of resources. A community that begins to form in class can continue to exist outside of a class. Suddenly, all you need to do to participate in a group discussion is log onto your computer, and I suspect most students are doing this anyway. Collaborative projects can be worked on all the time, constantly changing and growing.