Online opportunities for meaningful professional development: learning with Wikis & blogs

"In an essay in ASCD's Educational Leadership, Bill Ferriter writes that the Internet has the potential to revolutionize professional development for teachers, which has been susceptible to business-driven reform fads that have little effect on student achievement. 'Thousands of accomplished educators are now writing blogs about teaching and learning,' he points out. '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.' This accumulated wisdom, which is driven by personal interests and connected to classroom realities, is available for free. 'Professional growth for me starts with 20 minutes of blog browsing each morning,' Ferriter says, 'sifting through the thoughts of practitioners whom I might never have been able to learn from otherwise and considering how their work translates into what I do with students.' Other educators comment and challenge him on his own blog, prompting further reflection, experimentation, and refinement of his own ideas. Ferriter provides suggested links and tips for getting started as a consumer of and participant in this forum."