Discussion: One of the leading friction-reducing phenomena flowing from mobility is the so-called Sharing Economy, with proponents such as Airbnb and Uber, wherein somebody creates a mobile application which makes it trivially easy for any person A who needs X to find and make a deal with any person Y, who is willing to offer X, whatever that X is.
523 Inspiration: For example, there have been innumerable repositories for Open Education Resources (OERs) over the last decade, but none of them have taken off yet. What is the magic Sharing Economy formula by which educators and learners will be able to achieve their separate objectives more easily?
When I first began teaching in 2010, it didn’t take long to learn that collaboration and sharing were key elements of becoming a successful teacher. In order to keep your head above water, explore new ideas, and use your time wisely, it was imperative that you form a professional network in your school community that would allow you to have access to existing resources that could fulfill whatever pedagogical need you had. Often, and much to my dismay, this took the form of a sort of handing-down of tablets from the top of a mountain. “If you want my lesson, copy the whole booklet and deliver it this way” was often the narrative that accompanied resources that came from more experienced teachers or program specialists. Furthermore, it was inferred that I had little to offer in return, until I had significantly more experience in the field, or upgraded my training through formal education. This caused me to head online, and begin seeking ideas and resources from an online professional learning network. My PLN was formed mostly through Twitter, department-hosted message boards, and email lists. I also discovered sites like Teachers Pay Teachers, but I found the rigidity and possessiveness as unwelcoming as the stacks of booklets I was being handed after staff meetings.
What developed from my online PLN was a sort of small-scale OER. Sometimes I shared, but more often in my early career, I benefited from collecting ideas and strategies that helped me form and develop my teaching practice. Over time I was more able to take on the role of benefactor when it came to exchanging ideas and resources, and have continued to use these formal and informal OERs over time (as well as many other similar tools). I often think about what a Sharing Economy for educational resources and ideas might look like. I DON’T think it will take the form of a monolithic, one-stop solution. Rather, I visualize a platform or tool that would enable users to be part of a variety of interlocking networks forming an OER in the Personal Web. It would be responsive and easily navigable, and offer space for learners and the broader community as well as educators.
I am also concerned about maintaining the rights of individuals and participants in these sharing marketplaces. I’m curious to explore this topic in greater depth.