A compelling case for encouraging personal networks in school

The students in our school deserve the same learning opportunities as anywhere else and learning networks can level the educational playing field for students, teachers and administrators.

To quote Richardson & Mancabelli (2011),

"Since the mid-1990's, the sum of human knowledge and two billion potential teaches are available to us online. These shifts have huge implications for the field of education, demanding that we reexamine the way we structure our classrooms and our work with students." (p. 86, Personal Learning Networks)

Our students are already engaged in social networks online and using the web for learning would be a natural next step. However, to keep them safe online, we need to first know how to use these networks ourselves, and we need to teach students how to use them well and ethically.

Publishing content online and using the network to connect with people around the world could be the most powerful way of learning yet.

And, if we wish to have even a semblance of control "when facing the avalanche of information in the modern world is to learn how to use learning networks." (p. 88, Ibid.)

Does this make sense?