Is Twitter encouraging a type of ‘Arab Spring’ within Education?

This interesting thought occurred during a conversation today. Are we living through a process whereby social media is finally breaking down some of the traditional divides that have kept education transformation suppressed? I suspect we are.

What is twitter managing to do?

·        Break down the barriers that have made it difficult for teachers from different sectors to meet , collaborate and talk

·        Spawn new grassroots movements such as Teach Meets where teachers from any background can freely share ideas

·        Enable quick transfer of outstanding ideas and practice to anyone interested

·        Gather a new educational tribe, one that has education and vision ahead of administration, policy or politics

·        Challenge people to accelerate the change process at their respective institutions

·        Enable easy access to educational visionaries from all over the globe

·        Highlight where government policy is hopelessly inadequate across the world

·        Bring together people who share a common passion for seeing students fully engaged in their learning

·        Enable thought leaders to bounce their ideas with a  speed and strength previously impossible

·        Demonstrate that educational analysis can reflect current dialogue, not articles that surface a year after a conversation

I personally feel that the main blocker when it comes to changing practice is not the teacher, rather judgement and/or prejudice that has suggested that the education debate needs to be about public versus private, not passion and engagement. That debate has done enormous damage to the cause of education around the world. It has marginalized the passionate educators, thwarted productive conversation and allowed governments to be side-tracked into thinking that education is all about funding and budgets, rather than vision and opportunity.

I really hope that Twitter and other forms of social media will keep breaking down the walls of separation – and usher in a new educational era and tribe united around vision and hope.

Join the tribe. Be the change!