Dan Butcher writes:

An earlier question asked where "best practices" come from, and for me, they come from the sharing. My participation in ACW-L (and to lesser extent DEOS) has been invaluable as I have started my online course. I obviously benefit from the practices and explanations others share, but I also benefit from the questions people ask. One, the questions let me know that I'm not the only one who sometimes wonders, "how do I make this work for my students?" More importantly, though, I ponder how I would answer the questions that come up (or I realize that it's a question I never considered), and I'm pushed to think differently about my teaching. When I have actively participated in the discussion, the participation has forced me to refine my thinking as I put my ideas into words and then deal with questions, objections, and challenges that come from other members of the list.

When ACW moved to a new server recently, a common question was, "will we have an archive (and when)?" I was surprised to learn that several members of the list had been building their own archives. This interest in continued access to seemingly ephemeral electronic messages indicates the value of what's being shared: that theories are being developed through the discussion, that practices are being offered and questioned and critiqued. All of this can only lead to growth and improved practice.

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