I think that social networking will continue to expand and will encompass the educational community. On Ning, I saw multiple sites of classrooms connecting across cities, states and countries. There were private sites that were connecting classrooms from China, Japan, China, Australia. I see these kind of sites as penpals of the highest order because students do not have to wait weeks or months in order to get a response to a question, comment or observation. Responses are instantaneous. As these types of interactive sites become more common, I see students becoming part of a global community of learning and interacting with different cultures. As our world shrinks even more, we can become more tolerant of each other.
I also feel that Ning and other sites for networking will be a valuable tool for professional growth as we exchange thoughts, ideas, and reflections. Instead of lecture/speaker type staff development, I can see a definite trend toward online learning and development. I think that it could very well be the way staff development is conducted in the future. It is imperative that we keep up with the technology. I found a video of great quotes to inspire teachers on a Ning tech integration site. (Some man inserted his picture in the slideshow so ignore him)
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