What Can We Gain by Collaboration?

Many of us have collaborated on projects for school with classmates and for our jobs with peers who are in the same location. The Web 2.0 has opened up the world for endless opportunities for collaboration with other schools in the United States as well as all over the world.

Reading the chapters assigned in Curtis J. Bonk’s book “The World is Open,” has really opened me eyes to the endless collaboration opportunities.

Collaboration is something that not only students can gain from but teachers as well. Students can be collaborating on the pop culture, government, and school in Haiti with Haitian students through epals. Teachers can be collaborating on the ways in which each country teaches, education funding, and other resources available to them. This collaboration enriches the learning process on the subject matter at hand.

In recent events of Haiti, the students could turn to social networking websites to get information on the fate of their epal. The epals collaboration may have helped foster friendships with each other, and a greater understanding of the way they each live. The United States student’s can collaborate with their school a relief fund effort for the school they were working with including staff, students, and their families.

I was watching CNN this morning and the reporters were discussing what the donations were at this point, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, or the Tsunami that hit Thailand, compared to the donations for the Haitian earthquake.

They were discussing maybe the earthquake hit them differently, and felt they want to help. They talked about how technology has changed in the last several years making it easier to donate.

I believe that the Web 2.0 and other technology have made it easier for people to donate. Many people may have thought their $10 would not make a difference in recent years. However, the Red Cross has made it easy for cell phone customers, just text to this number, and type in Haiti and $10 will be added to you next bill. This collaboration efforts between the Red Cross and Cell Phone companies, and their customers has raised millions of dollars in a short period of time. $10 does make a difference...