A Study in Collaboration on the Web

Collaboration is key to do most anything. 

Humans are a collaborative species. Since Day 1 of our little adventure here on Earth, people have relied on one another to survive, thrive, create families, and contribute to something larger than themselves. It can be demoralizing for people to live on their own, or to work in such a way that it seems impact-less to their society or their community. 

And so, in our yearnings to connect with our fellow man, we collaborate. Collaboration is just the combined efforts of multiple people on the same project. Collaboration can be incredibly important to making new things. Different people have different ideas. Different and diverse ideas are the cornerstone to innovation and forward-thinking.

But how is collaboration particularly important to our modern day? With the internet and social media, collaboration has increased its breadth to a global scale. Instead of kicking ideas around with people near you, which may come with its own biases, you can interact with people from all around the world. That is where the diversity is. And with greater diversity, comes the greater likelihood of a better idea. 

Collaboration is critical in every field, and that includes education. The feast for ideas — whether it regards curriculum, discipline, classroom supplies and organization — is widely available on social media and the Web. 

The way we collaborate has completely changed due to the internet. To reject it would be unwise. Educators — and people of all industries, for that matter — ought to use new tools and technology to their own benefit rather than simply writing it off to do what has always been done. 

There is a whole world out there, and it has been connected via the way of the Web. You want to see how schools and Tanzania function? In Iran? South Korea? It's there. It's free. It's ready for you to read, watch, listen, contribute. 

It's in our DNA to collaborate. So why not widen the net?