Education Week (10/25, Davis) reports, "Online social networking is spawning a new type of professional development that brings educators together to share face-to-face lessons, but in a more freewheeling-and, some argue, more targeted-way than traditional conferences intended to boost teaching skills. Such events, dubbed Edcamps, are springing up across the country." The piece notes that the real-world gatherings are organized by professionals who have met through social networking sites, and "have no preset agenda or speakers, but proponents say they provide educators with information on the latest trends and build on discussions that have taken place in online forums."
In a separate article, Education Week (10/25, Davis) reports on the use of online collaboration in which educators in Michigan's Walled Lake district "read the same book to get them thinking about the best ways to promote student engagement. Even though some were on vacation and others were stationed at different schools, an online-discussion forum generated more than 300 posts full of ideas for putting the book's advice into practice." The piece characterizes such collaborations as "hybrid professional development," in which "Schools and districts are now starting to harness the power of online professional development and often combine it with live interaction to enhance both aspects of the experience."
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