So I think it’s pretty clear that I am not a business major. In fact, the last time I took any kind of “business” class was when I was in a senior in high school and I had to take the New York State required economics class. And the only things I remember in that class were my teacher’s insistence that there is no such thing as a free lunch and watching Shark Tank episodes to learn about equity….

Insert this week’s blog. The last blog post before I put forth all of my efforts into the final project for this course. At first, I was worried that my status as the only member of my family without some sort of a business related degree (only B.A. grad and proud!) was going to bite me in the behind as I tried to sift through the various internet economies.

Thankfully, Lessig makes the concepts very approachable and identifiable even in my arguably cursory interactions with such establishments. Lessig identifies three main economies: commercial, shared, and hybrid economies. Commercial economies is what I would call the default; the one that comes to most people’s minds when you mention an economy. Lessig defines it as “an economy in which money or ‘price’ is a central term of the ordinary, or normal, exchange.” Simply put, its the economy that exists in a store, whether brick and mortar or e-commerce, where the dollar is king. However, a shared economy is when, according to Lessig, “money is not appropriate” but is actually poisonous to the exchange. While Lessig compares it primarily to a friendship (which becomes something completely different when you start paying people for their time and company), the first thing that came to my mind were Facebook Groups.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a middle school teacher at a very small Catholic School. The school is so small in fact that I am the only English Teacher in the building. The school goes from nursery to 8th grade and I am the only teacher who gives instruction to the middle schoolers for English. This is the same for all four core subjects (math, social studies, science, and English). Teaching is a career that cannot be done in isolation. It is such a personal and subjective career that one of the most sought after resources is interactions with teachers of the same discipline. In a typical school, a department would have opportunities for this interaction through meetings, professional developments, and course offerings. However, my school does not have the personnel to offer such interactions, so I find myself turning to the Internet for the support and resources.

This is especially true with the current environment. With all of the schools in New York State closed until April 29 (and most likely longer if I had to guess), the need for collaboration sky rocketed as teachers were thrust into new and unchartered waters. Entire curricula had to be made virtual, digital, and accessible in what felt like mere seconds. Before I could even consider how I would approach this, I received an invitation on Facebook to join a group titled “Teaching Through the Pandemic.” There were already hundreds of posts. Teachers seeking resources, advice, and assistance across grade levels and disciplines. Teachers asking for prayers, emotional support, sharing funny photos and stories, offering information from different states. An entire shared economy had sprung up in an instant. People were sharing information, support, and advice to ensure that we were prepared in ways that we didn’t even know we needed.

Although the activity subsided after the first few weeks once the majority of teachers got their footing and better understood how to complete their work online, the group continued. Stories were shared, updates about the virus’ many curves, and quick tech fixes in language that was way easier to follow than an IT assist still populate the group on a regular basis. So even in the midst of what feels like the end of the world, shared economies and communities are still being built, allowing people to exchange help, ideas, and goods, and without asking for a single cent in return,

Which, when you think about it, is really kind of beautiful. In its own, sci-fi movie way.