In an ideal world, all teachers would work in great schools with supportive leaders and colleagues who are happy to share. In the real world, some don’t. Armed with a computer and basic social networking skills, some teachers are finding the help they need online.
One example is Laura Abercrombie, who was hired to teach 8th-grade language arts in the spring. Abercrombie quickly realized the challenges she was facing: She was fresh out of college and preparing to teach a class for which there were no instructional materials (and the last teacher wasn’t keen on sharing). She was overwhelmed and had no clue where to begin to prepare for the coming school year.
Rather than wait for help, she did something many other young teachers would do. She joined The English Companion Ning 
a social network that bills itself as a place “where English teachers meet to help each other.” She posted her picture with the word “HELP!” and related the specifics of her situation.
Within 12 hours of her first post, Abercrombie had 60 responses from teachers around the country, some suggesting young adult book titles to get her started, some offering professional development resources, and others providing encouragement. She was amazed at the help and support she got and called the Ning “an incredible resource.”
My Space, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other social networks have become a preferred communication method for nearly everyone under 30, so it’s no surprise that young teachers are quite comfortable seeking help from and offering advice to online peers. Classroom 2.0 Ning creator Steve Hargadon says that the ease with which teachers can access social networks and share information with their peers has the potential to drastically alter teacher professional development. “…Literally within five minutes you’re up and running with a community,” Hargadon said.
As with all material found on the Internet, professional development experts caution that social network posts have not been vetted so teachers should carefully consider the merit of any suggestion before they try it in the classroom. But there is little doubt that communicating with peers online can add to a teacher’s knowledge and potentially improve his or her classroom instruction.
While social networking won’t replace formal teacher professional development activities, it is a nice complement to them. In fact, in the not-too-distant future, teachers may get professional development credit for the hours they spend honing their practice through their online interactions.
—“The World’s Largest English Department,” by Elizabeth Rich, Teacher Magazine, Oct. 1, 2009.
