Educators of the Caribbean finally have their own social network

[MIAMI] – The Caribbean Educators Network (CEN) is a social network of educators that is accessible online and supported by a number of online and social media tools. The network began in March 2008 as an effort to facilitate the establishment of a continuing professional development (CPD) network specifically for Caribbean educators.

Presently however, the network has evolved into a complex network of online collaborators with over 920 members from across the Caribbean and other countries around the world.

Membership

Membership interests and backgrounds are varied, and provide for diverse interactions and collaborations within learning communities in the network. This growth and interest in collaborative knowledge-building and sharing is evident by the activities that forms part of the network.

Members participate in live online webinars (online conferences, workshops and lectures) and engage in critical and reflective dialogue in discussion forums. Most of the collaborative knowledge-building and sharing takes place in small to medium groups within the network.

Advisory Group

In 2009 an advisory group emerged out of an online reflective workshop. The CEN advisory group is working towards the development of a framework that will seek to sustain collaborative knowledge-building and sharing in groups. In addition to this the advisory group is planning its first Online Caribbean Educators Conference to take place in August of 2011 over a period of two days.

This is a free event and will feature Caribbean educators in critical dialogue using social media technology and tools. The event will feature live webinars using video, audio and text. The event will be a feature online workshops on technology integration in classroom, lectures in social media and Caribbean education, and interactive open mic sessions on the changing education landscape in the Caribbean among other topics. The call for presenters and moderators will take place in February 2011 and researchers and educators are asked to lend support to this. Presentations and articles will form part of an online open CEN educational journal.

The network is a closed but free to Caribbean educators. To access the network members must sign-up at http://www.caribbeaneducatorsnetwork.com.