Week 3 - Social Networking Technologies

WEEK 3 - SOCIAL NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES

Richardson (2010) was right when he stated that “the power of social interaction … is immense, and is being harnessed in all sorts of new and creative ways” (p. 85). We now live in a global village where information and the world itself are constantly changing. As Siemens (2009a) noted in his video “Connectivism Learning Theory” we need to ask ourselves how we can make sense of an overwhelmingly complex world. He goes on to say that because of the individual ability to create information, we now have an explosion of social media sites that connect us to each other to help address our complex world.

Twitter (https://twitter.com) is a microblogging application which is a combination of instant messaging and blogging. One can watch an event unfold in real time from different angles while getting other people’s perspectives all at the same time. Ideas and information are created instantly while using audio-visual media like music, video, or photos.

            I selected Twitter because it is free and most young people already use twitter for social networking. Since most students are already familiar with how twitter is used, it should not take long to redirect and teach them how to use twitter to enhance their education.

            In using Twitter in my classroom, students can continue discussions or conversations that were started in class but could not be completed because of insufficient time. Students could even use Twitter to collaborate with students from other countries and compare and contrast their take on a global topic or situation, more like a “twitterpal”. If students are looking for a career, they could use the site to follow a professional in that particular field they are interested in as a future career. Twitter Vision allows users to Geotag other users to know what topic is being discussed in any part of the world where the tagged users are.

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is the world’s largest professional network with over 300 million users. There are two options for members: basic or premium. Sign up is free and the social networking site promises to help professionals to build their professional identity online and also to stay current with colleagues and classmates. The site offers the option of joining different professional groups where one can read comments or join in discussions on various topics. Professional opportunities like job openings, business deals, and new ventures are all possibilities for users or members of LinkedIn. From time to time people in one’s network may post news or inspiration that could encourage or motivate someone else to take a step in the right direction.

                I selected LinkedIn because I believe that it will help my students to learn how to develop a professional profile that can increase their chances of landing the job of their dreams. LinkedIn will enable students to move one step ahead in the direction of their dream job.

            I will use LinkedIn as a way to teach students how to develop their profile. Students will also be required to join a professional group of their choosing and to contribute to a current group discussion. Students will be required to do this weekly and report on their experience. 

            It is exciting when one considers the endless possibilities of using social networking to enhance the curriculum and actively engage students in their own learning. The fact that we have so many choices of social networking sites means that we have the option of choosing which ones work best for our setting. The downside to the abundance of choices is that as educators, we need to spend time doing research to find what works best for us and our students.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009a). Connectivism learning theory.     Baltimore, MD: Author.

Robert Gibson(nd)http://www.slideshare.net/rgibson?utm_campaign=profiletracking&utm_medi            um=sssite&utm_source=ssslideview