Eden Autism Services, a center dedicated to providing information, education, and training on autism, was a participant at a recently conducted roundtable discussion which was co-hosted by edWeb.net and Footsteps2Brilliance and held in Washington, DC. The discussion which saw large scale representation from prominent personalities from across different educational segments explored and highlighted avenues and issues in the creation of online communities for educators. 

Dr. Tom McCool, President & CEO of Eden Autism Services, who was among the panelists, spoke about the setting up of an Autism Community for elementary school teachers and another community for secondary school teachers over edWeb’s network. McCool said that both online communities had seen member representation grow exponentially since March. He also pointed out how the discussion of real life challenges faced by teachers was effectively and quickly addressed by edWeb members through detailed and collaborative communications.

In a release, Lisa Schmucki, the founder and CEO of edWeb.net, said, “This was a great opportunity to bring together a diverse group of educators and organizations who are passionate about creating online communities for educators. If we share and collaborate with each other, we will help move forward faster with using social networking technology to support educators and improve teaching and learning.”

An increasing number of educators and stakeholders within the industry are understanding and are receptive to the kind of influence and reach that online communities can deliver. There is an increasing recognition for the efficient and optimized manner in which educators can connect and collaborate, and benefit from increased professional support for their practice. The National Education Technology Plan 2010 has recommended the use of social networks to “provide educators with career-long personal learning tools and resources that make professional learning timely and relevant as well as an ongoing activity that continually improves practice and evolves their skills over time.”

The roundtable discussion brought to light how the setting up of such online communities can help in improving individual practice of teachers by providing a collective and optimized teaching model. The online communities could also help new educators address challenges faced in teaching assignments.

Ilene Rosenthal, the founder and CEO of Footsteps2Brilliance, who hosted the event in Washington, D.C., said, “There is no turning back from the digital revolution. Online communities of practice will be the way to scale best educational practices, connect school and home and accelerate learning for all students across the United States.”

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