Technology, Collaboration and Constructivist Principles

As in anything there is the myth and the reality. Hollywood, textbooks and other sociological elements have created many myths. The myth of the Wild West, the pioneers, the settlers, all involve a lone wolf fighting against nature to survive and are tainted or imbued with romantic and heroic imagery. The reality of each is quite different. The settlers may not have survived without the aid of local knowledge. I think Rheingold is dealing more with the myth versus the reality of how we work cooperatively. Humans are definitely social animals as are most primates. The ability to cooperate and work as a group has allowed us to adapt to every ecosystem on the planet.
Technology is certainly changing how and whom people cooperate with. It can allow instantaneous collaboration across the globe. We just purchased an interactive whiteboard in our school. The company’s website has thousands of lesson plans made and uploaded by teachers from around the world. As well students can interact, cooperate, and build knowledge bases with students around the world via wikis and blogs. This learning can happen in more organic social structures, or structures the learners create rather than the forced social structures of schools and classrooms.