What defines a community? Wikipedia defines it as a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment. We all belong to a community rather it be a family, a group of friends, school, work or a social web site. Within a community we share information, ideas, hopes and dreams, problems and solutions. Using new medias such as Web 2.0 technologies can create a massive social community that encompasses a world of change. Changing the way people think and learn about the world around them. Changing the way we do business.
In the past working communities collaborated in meeting rooms with pen and paper. Pretty soon email and the internet sites made collaborating with co-workers easier. Today, collaborating in real time has become a social phenomenon. Working communities that have a project deadline using an excel spreadsheet, for example, can work together on the spreadsheet from different parts of the world in real time, seeing immediate changes to the data. "Social networking mapping helps business leaders to understand and harness the dynamics of their own workplace" (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). Mapping out the community within the workplace can lead to a social community that is dynamic and collaborative.
School communities are now a network of instant messaging, blogging, tweeting and meeting friends online. Homework can be found on web sites. Information can be exchanged fast among teachers, students and parents, joining together a community of learning. Technology affects how students communicate and how they learn. Having this technology changes how these students learn. Their community of practice is a social one.
References:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8_D451cHm4
Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
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