Reflections on my Web 2.0 Journey

I began this blog 6 weeks ago as part of a course on Web 2.0. My first post invited you all to come along and adventure with me. And I have enjoyed your comments and company along the way. I hope you enjoyed reading about my discoveries and my reflections of my experiences. Perhaps you even learned something too. So to wrap up this segment of my Web 2.0 adventures, I thought I would share some final thoughts.

First, my mind is still on the verge of explosion due to the sheer volume of information I have digested in the past weeks. I cannot believe how little I knew and how much knowing could change my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but the new realms of possibilities that have been opened to me, deserve some drama. I feel a little like a proselytizer; I want to shout about the merits of the new tools I have found from the highest mountain.

Second, I still have so much to learn. I know I have barely scratched the surface of what is out there. and how it can be used. Not only are there social media tools that were introduced in the class that I have not yet investigated, but there are ones external to the course materials still to discover.

Third, I have begun to invest energy, thought, and time into building and refining my personal learning network (PLN). Before this course, I did not really know what a PLN was, let alone that I had one. It is definitely an exciting new endeavor.

As I this course comes to an end, I know my journey into the land of Web 2.0 has truly just begun. I will continue to use this blog as my travel diary, documenting new discoveries and reflections.

See you at the next checkpoint!

Revisiting Teens, Social Media, and Education

One thing that stands out from recent articles I have read and conversations with my niece is that there is a large percent of teenagers that do not want social media to intersect with school. In a recent study 39% of students were against the idea (Crook, 2012). It makes sense. While teens will post most anything to sites like Instagram and Snapchat. They can control what they produce and the audience who can access it. In an educational setting, students do not chose their classmates. Fear of looking stupid or being ridiculed for the content they contribute, were common reasons students shared for keeping social media out of the classroom (Crook, 2012). My niece just said she thought it would be weird because Instagram and Snapchat were personal. (She hesitated to give my her Snapchat when she was first teaching me how to use it.)

So, here are a few of my ideas (after a six-week adventure into Web 2.0) regarding secondary education and social media use. Allowing the learning objective to direct which tools to chose is most important (i.e., Don't use social media just because you think it is cool.). Also, choosing the right social media tools to introduce is the key to successful integration and student use of the tools. Use tools that are novel to students (e.g., Storify, Blogger) or whose purpose is more educational in nature (e.g., Kahoot!, Quizlet). Doing so may make the use of social media feel less like an invasion of privacy to students. One thing my adventure in Web 2.0 has taught me is that there are more tools out there than I could ever imagine, and so many I still need to explore. My definition of social media is no longer limited to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Also, consider group work as a possibility when the main focus of social media use is content creation. This allows for collective authorship, which may help students feel less vulnerable.

What do you think is most important for effective social media use in secondary education?

Crook, C. (2012). The 'digital native' in context: Tensions associated with importing web 2.0 practices into school setting. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 63-80. doi:10.1080/03054985.2011.577946

A follow up to my last post on balance - Whose job is it anyway?

I was driving down a two-lane side street (speed limit 35mph) when I saw a young woman walking down the road in my lane towards my car. Her head was bent down looking at her phone with earbuds in her ears. She looked so similar to the cartoon people in the video, I was immediately reminded of it. (Here is the video link from my previous post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdz4DvDG_gg.)

She was walking ON the road, not beside it. So, as I approached her I crossed the double yellow lines into the other lane to allow for plenty of room. Since there were no cars coming from the other directions, I was safe to do so. What surprised me is that she never looked up and never moved over. I am not sure if she even registered that I was there. I was in shock and a little horrified. Did she even recognize her dangerous situation?

As an educator, it confirmed my belief that emphasizing balance is an integral piece of teaching technology. It is important that we not only teach the tools, but we teach responsible use of the tools. And, I think this is even more true for secondary education, as it is during this time when social media use really expands.

Which gets me thinking, when I incorporate social media in my class, should I leave space for a discussion on norms, use, and responsibilities or do I stick to my content? If not me, then who? Whose job is it to teach these lessons? Is it solely on the parents? What do you think?

Balance and the Mobile Revolution

A video came across my Facebook feed today. After researching the source, it appears the animation I saw was part of a music video between the animator, Steve Cutts, and the musical artists, Moby & The Void Pacific Choir. The video is titled Are You Lost In The World Like Me? 

Here is the link to the original music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VASywEuqFd8

Here is the link to the edited version I saw on Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdz4DvDG_gg (It is instrumental and shorter than the original.)

I am not going to lie; the video is depressing. I do not ascribe to such a gloomy outlook or dooms day picture of life in the mobile revolution. But, I do think the video strikes an important note in the discussion on how the mobile revolution is changing our world. It is a great depiction of "absent presence" a term coined by social psychologist Kenneth Gergen and described as being physically in one place and socially in another (Rainie & Wellman, 2013). It is phenomenon we all have experienced on both sides. I know I am guilty of checking a text message during a face-to-face conversation. I also know how frustrating it is when someone does that too me. It is also a great depiction of what can happen with addiction (or lack of balance).

I encourage you to watch the video. I hope it will make you think about how you fit into the mobile revolution. It definitely made me think. It made me wonder, how much am I missing in the world around me because my head is turned down looking at my phone? The video reminded me of the most important lesson I have learned (and continue to learn every day) about life, the importance of balance.

I think that balance is an important aspect of social media use that needs to be taught. There is not a one-size-fits-all measure for how much to use mobile technology or engage in social media. Trying to quantify its use seems silly, as the web 2.0 environment is fairly limitless in its uses and forms. However, teaching about the importance of balance (i.e., not letting your life become like the people in the video), might be the answer.

So, how do you teach about balance? I don't know. Perhaps making lists of how time is spent (e.g., work, sleep, exercise, friends, family, etc...) and then filling in blocks of time on a daily calendar could help.

What do you think? Is balance important to teach (with this mobile revolution we are experiencing globally)? If so, how?

Reference:
Rainie, L. & Wellman, B. (2013). Networked: The new social operating system. Boston, MA: MIT Press. 

Education and Web 2.0 - Aha Moments and Reflections

When I started the Web 2.0 course this summer, I knew so little about the adventures that lay ahead as I discovered the vast world Web 2.0 encompasses. I have learned about so many new tools, platforms, possibilities... it kind of feels like my head might explode. But it's good; I am just experiencing growing pains. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world of possibilities and resources. And this week, I have had two major "Aha" moments in my Web 2.0 journey.

My first "Aha" moment, relates to the educational uses for Web 2.0 tools. To clarify, I was aware before this week that Web 2.0 tools could be used for education. (I have been studying this for five weeks.) However, in creating my produsage project and viewing many of my classmates projects, it became more real or clearly defined. I realize just how broad (perhaps unlimited) the possibilities for educational uses of Web 2.0 tools can be. Before this course my knowledge of the tools were limited to a small fraction of what exists. Now I feel like my instructional toolbox is overflowing. After this course, I will have to make some decisions about what is going to stay in the toolbox and what needs to move to the tool closet (where the tools I don't use that often live).

The second "Aha" moment can as I checked out OER Commons and MERLOT this week. I cannot believe that I was missing out on so many resources. How did I not know about this before now? I think I could spend days searching through the content within those two platforms. I also realized that I have been stingy with the resources I have created over the past decade as a classroom teacher. I am excited that I can contribute some of my own work to the collective whole and hopefully inspire other teachers with my ideas, as I have been inspired by theirs.

I love my produsage project!

I am not trying to brag, but I am really proud of the project that I created. The reason that I am so excited is that I think it could really be useful for classroom teachers. I first introduced my project idea in a blog post one week ago. Since then, I have seen the project through to completion.

My original idea is essentially what I created. The lesson plan is titled, Pre-Requisite Review with Storify and Kahoot!, and is a multi-day group project. Students use Storify to create a review and Kahoot! to create a quiz for a given pre-requisite topic. It is a three-day lesson plan with three distinct yet connected activities. On the first day, the project is introduced to the students and they create their Storify review. The second day, students finalize their reviews on Storify and create their quizzes on Kahoot!. The final day, students play through each of the Kahoot! quizzes created by the class. The lesson plan is written generically so that it can be modified for use in any subject area. 

The plan includes four additional resources: Project Introduction (PowerPoint presentation), Student Facilitation Guide (Word document), Project Rubric (Word document), and Project Reflection (Word document). All of these documents are located in a folder on Edmodo in my Produsage group. I also created a sample project to demonstrate what students will create. Both the Storify review and the Kahoot! quiz are posted as links in the Edmodo group. (You request to the join group at  https://edmo.do/j/rijtmz.)

If you are not interested in seeing all of the documents but would like to see work samples you can click the links below. 

Storify Review: https://storify.com/Ginny7s/proportions-review

Kahoot! Quiz: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/91a21acf-a7f0-41f8-a74d-5efd8b9f4dad

Let me know what you think.

Game Theory Breaks Down The "Game" of Trust

Okay, so I sat down to write my next blog post, but instead decided I should check on the subreddit I follow (r/matheducation) real quick before I started. It had been a while since I looked at Reddit, and I convinced myself it would just be a quick stop before diving into my blog post.

An hour plus later, I am now finally writing my post. However, my visit to Reddit completely changed its content. I stumbled upon one of the coolest things I have seen online. It was released this month by Nicky Case and can be found at http://ncase.me/trust/. The post on Reddit was calling it a game. And it is a game, but it is also so much more than that.  It is a commentary on society and the problem with trust. It teaches and makes you think. When I shared it on Twitter, the caption called it "an interactive guide".

Just found this on Reddit. Very cool! I'm interested in its implications for social media. #eme6414 Thoughts? https://t.co/AAio6BK8Mp

— Ginny Smith (@Ginny7s) July 29, 2017

There are 10 pages to the game (numbered 0-9). The first page, page zero, is the introduction, which states that on Christmas in 1914, during World War 1, British and German soldiers met in "No Mans Land" and celebrated the holiday together in a sort of truce. This is followed by the fact that in 2017 trust is at an all time low (looking at the last 40 years) according to survey responses over time. My favorite quote from the new game is on the first page: " Why even in peacetime, do friends become enemies? And why, even in wartime, do enemies become friends?" (Case, p.0).

The next page describes"The game of Trust". It is a basic two person risk/reward scenario game, where you can either chose to cooperate or cheat. The third page is your first chance to play the game. You play 5 opponents an unknown number of rounds (between 3 and 7). At the end of the play you meet your five opponents and are told the strategy (rule) they used to play the game. I cannot reveal any more because I do not wan to spoil the game for anyone, and I highly recommend you play.

I think the following quote from the seventh page is one of the reasons I decided to share this game on my blog. "I think our modern media technology, as much as it's helped us increase communication... has increased our miscommunication much more" (Case, p. 6). Miscommunication being one of the things that leads to distrust.

I leave you with a final quote from the game and one more reminder to go check it out at http://ncase.me/trust/. "In the short run, the game defines the players. But in the long run, it's us players who define the game" (Case, p. 8)

So play the game and let me know what you think. Or if you cannot play the game (for some really good reason), I hope you will share your thoughts on social media miscommunication.

Case, Nicky. (2017). The Evolution of Trust. [Website] retrieved from http://ncase.me/trust/

Teacher Tech Tools: Kahoot! Review Revised

So I wrote a blog a couple weeks ago about a list of formative assessment resources. I included a video from Kahoot! and a brief overview. Since then, I have spent more time working with the tool, and I want to update my review. I still think it is a great tool with many possible uses. For example, not only can you create quiz games, there are other options as well. You can create a survey where there is not a correct answer. You can also create a discussion, which limits you to one question, and is for spur-of-the-moment inquiries. The newest option is a jumble, where students must order the options instead of selecting one correct option.

Another cool thing about Kahoot! is that you can upload any image to the Kahoot! question slide. My biggest frustration with Kahoot! so far has been the limited number of characters you can use in the questions of the quizzes. This is very problematic when trying to use a math word problem. However, creating the question on a separate document and taking a screen shot allows you to upload any question. One thing to keep in mind is that the maximum time allowed for answering a quiz question is 120 seconds. Students need enough time to answer, so this also limits how much content you can include.

Kahoot! also has an extensive and well-written FAQs which I found very helpful. Another easy way to get help is to click the comment bubble (circled in red on the picture below). All you have to do is type your question and click next. Then it gives you some possible help topics or the option to send the question on to the help desk. I found what I needed every time from the links they suggested. It was easy and fast. A final way to get help creating an awesome Kahoot! is to check out their blog (underlined in blue with arrow on the picture below). The blog contains tutorials, cool ideas for using Kahoot!, and help with companion tools.

Overall, I think it is a great resource for teachers and one I will keep in my teacher tool box.

(Note to EME6414 folks: Make sure to check out my newest Kahoot in my student work sample for my Produsage Project, coming soon to the discussion board.)

Produsage Project - Look who is teaching now

My professor challenged our class to blog about our ideas for our Produsage Project and tweet the link. We can then give each other feedback on our ideas. Challenge accepted!

My idea for my produsage project is to have students do a curation assignment using Storify. I loved the process I just went through for the Knowledge Sharing and Tracking Project. I also love letting students be the teachers in the classroom. Logistically, it would be a multi-day lesson for the first week of school. The plan could be adapted for any grade level and subject area. My example will be for secondary math. The purpose of the curation is to review a topic from the previous year's curriculum. The teacher provides a list of carefully chosen topics and students work in small groups to create a collection of resources to review their chosen topic. The topics should be those essential for learning progression, the foundations for building the current year's new knowledge. Each collection should include at least 3 resources and each resource must be annotated by the students. For assessment, each group will create a game on Kahoot covering their topic. Students are required to view all of the class projects and make comments about the resources or leave questions about the concepts. On the final day of the project, students play each group's assessment game to demonstrate mastery of the concepts being reviewed.

My rational for this project is that many teachers have a hard time deciding what to do the first week of class (in secondary education), and most students need a review of the important topics from the previous course after the long summer break. This activity helps on both fronts. Another reason for the project is it allows teachers to begin developing relationships with students, as the teacher is free to roam and interact with students instead of delivering content. It will also help classmates begin learning how to work together. These are important components of classroom management for teachers to set at the beginning of each school year.

The prototype of student work will include a story (on Storify) on how to change fractions into decimals and a game (on Kahoot) covering the content from the story.

So, what do you think? Please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Designing Instruction that Includes Social Media

I recently read an in-progress manuscript about the uses, advantages, and challenges of incorporating social media into instruction (Dennen, in press). Two tables are included, both providing useful summaries. Table 1 provides possible educational uses and descriptions for the major social media platforms/tools. Table 2 provides educational examples with and without social media. When combined, these two tables are a great quick resource for those desiring to incorporate social media into their instructional plans. Most of the educational uses the author discusses are communication related, instructor-to-student or student-to-student. Activities involving content creation (e.g., produce and upload your own video) are also discussed. This makes sense as enhanced communication and content creation are two main facets of social media.

Another key point the author makes is that social media should be used in education when the purposes of the instruction align with the attributes of the social media tool. "The driving force behind social media adoption in educational settings should be the learning objectives and context, not external pressures" (Dennen, in press, p. 10). To this message I exclaim, "Preach!" Incorporating technology and media into instruction can motivate learners, enhance communication, and engage students, but only when there is correct alignment between the tools and the instructional goals.

My instructional experience has always been as both the creator and deliverer of the instruction. While reading the article, it occurred to me that the role someone plays in delivering the instruction and the relationship (or lack thereof) someone has to those receiving the instruction greatly influences the challenges faced. As I see it there are three different roles: 1) Classroom teacher - knows the learner and delivers the instruction, 2) Trainer/online instructor - limited knowledge of learners and delivers the instruction, 3) Instructional designer - does not know the learner and does not deliver the instruction. While these are lose definitions, I think they work in general. I would argue that the more contact the person designing the instruction has with the learner, the easier it is to navigate the challenges and risks surrounding the use of social media for instructional purposes. For example, as a classroom teacher I felt comfortable introducing new forms of media into my instructional plans because I knew my students comfortability levels. I could anticipate what types of help specific students would need, and I was right there to keep them on track and to offer guidance. As an instructional designer, all of these details must be carefully thought out and included in the instructional plan. That seems a lot harder. (But, maybe that is just because I am a bit of a control freak.)

What do you think? How does the role someone plays influence his/her ability to incorporate social media into an instructional plan?

Social Media Faux Pas?

I have been broadening my social media sphere for several weeks. I sometimes find my self checking my twitter, Facebook, blog, and other accounts at odd times throughout the day. So, the other night when I was having trouble sleeping, I decided to check out Facebook. (I have honestly been on Facebook a lot less lately, as I have been spending more time on other platforms.) As I was scrolling though posts and liking/commenting, I wondered if it was okay for me to respond to someone's post in the middle of the night.
I imagined a person soundly asleep when rudely awakened by their phone's notification sound. Of course, I quickly decided that someone who has the notification sound turned on has made a decision to allow that intrusion. Or, at least that seems like a logical and reasonable deduction. Also isn't one of the best aspects of web 2.0 platforms the ability to communicate asynchronously? I personally pay no attention to when someone communicates with me (unless I am checking to see how recently it occurred).
However, this got me thinking...

Are there social media faux pas? If so, what are they? 

Is there a Miss Manners for social media? (If you don't get the reference, click the name to go to her official website.)

Picture url http://www.glossglam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/night-light.jpgRetrieved from http://www.glossglam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/night-light.jpg

Facebook Town Hall - Connecting you to your representatives and...

I was listening to NPR in my car and heard a small segment on Facebook's new Town Hall feature. I was intrigued. I decided to check it out later that day. I searched Town Hall on face book and found the following:

When you click on the link, you are directed to the pop-up screen shown below. Now, I suddenly felt unsure. What did it mean if I entered my address? Would it be added to my profile page? Who would be able to see that information? It is not that I am "hiding". However, I have purposely kept my street address of social media sites. It just seemed safer that way. (Anyone who needs to know where I live, has numerous ways to contact me for that information.) But, choosing to skip this step, limits what politicians will be connected in your town hall. Also, if you enter your address, then you get a constituent badge. The badge allows for your representatives to know you are one of their constituents when you communicate with them.

I decided to skip it (at least for now) until I had more information. Continuing on to my town hall page, I see my state and federal politicians. Beside each name is a button to "Follow" or "Contact". When you click on contact a window opens containing the person's office mailing address and phone number. I was surprised that not all of them included a link for email communication. Regardless it seemed limited in purpose and usefulness. 

Perhaps it would be be better if it was more like the newsfeed on my Facebook home page, featuring the recent posts by all of my government representatives. What do you think? Have you used the Facebook Town Hall feature? Do you include you personal street address on social media sites?

"Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine..."

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Nemo-Seagulls_.jpg

Anyone who has seen Disney's movie Finding Nemo (2003) is familiar with the chant, "mine, mine, mine..." which is relentlessly recited by the seagulls upon seeing Dory and Marlin hit the marina dock. It is one of my favorite scenes from the movie and is brought to mind by this week's class focus on intellectual property.

In the age of digital connections and shared resources, how can I ensure I keep what is mine?

There are many resources to help individuals and organizations understand and manage content creation. One new resource I have been exposed to this week is Creative Commons. Creative Commons is a non-profit most known for its copyright licenses, but also includes other legal and technical tools that facilitate sharing and reuse of original content. As I get further into my doctoral program, I know this is a resource I will use both to share my work and to reuse the work of others.

Creative Commons helps users identify what license is right for their work. If you have a couple minutes, check out this video from their websites. It is great overview of Creative Commons copyright licenses.             https://vimeo.com/13590841

So far, my favorite part of Creative Commons is the ability to search their site for content. I know when I find something through their site, I can find out how exactly how I am allowed to use it. I do not have to worry about copyright laws. Thanks Creative Commons, for help making my life easier.

What about you? Are you familiar with Creative Commons?


Reference:
Pixar Animation Studios (Producer), Stanton, A. (Director), & Unkrich, L (Director). (2003). Finding Nemo [Motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney Studios

Teacher Tech Tools

As I am adventuring through the landscape of Web 2.0, I have found some interesting tools that I think are great resources for educators. I have decided to create a new series on my blog titled Teacher Tech Tools, where I will post links to articles reviewing educational technology or to the technologies themselves.

https://twitter.com/edutopia/status/886341497901256705

Today while checking my Twitter feed (weird new habit), I stumbled across a post from edutopoia. The author of the article (linked here) gives a short summary of her favorite formative assessment tools and how they are useful. I was surprised and excited that I was not aware of most of the tools she reviewed.

Here is a list of the tools, with hyperlinks, from the article:

• Socrative 
• Formative
•  Kahoot
• Quizziz 
• Quizlet Live
• SMART Lab.
• Nearpod 
• Vizia
• Edpuzzle 
• Let’s Recap
• Explain Everything
• Fluency Tutor 
• Seesaw,
• Plickers 
• QuickKey
• ZipGrade
• GradeCam

I recognize this is a long list and I have not gone through each one individually. Instead of doing so, I recommend you read the article as the author does a great job of giving enough detail about each to help the reader decide which resource to use. (Some of the resources listed have narrow purposes.)

One resource I did play around with is Kahoot. As someone who loves game based learning, this tool is perfect for me. I have only just scratched the surface, but am loving it so far. According to the website, it is a free game based learning platform for teachers and students to create, play, and share "Kahoots". Check out this YouTube video for a brief introduction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlXpKHH5kh0).

What do you think? Is this a tool you would use in your instruction? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Teens and Social Media (Part 3): "Facebook is for old..der people, like people over 26."

I am not sure where that puts you, but I am definitely in the Facebook age range. The title is a quote from my niece's (previously mentioned) best friend when she, my niece and I were all having a conversation about social media at my 40th birthday dinner last week. It was a comment nestled in a conversation about which social media platforms they used and for what purposes. Both stated that they used Instagram and Snapchat. Put in my own words, they used Snapchat like I use text messaging, to connect with their friends. They used Instagram like I use Facebook, to share cool stuff (links, pictures, videos) with their friends. They also use both tools occasionally to meet new people. However, they confirmed what the articles I have been reading tout; in general, the people they connect with using these tools are people they know in-person.  Their online communications are extensions of in-person relationships. And these online interactions are just as important, if not more important, to the health of their relationships than in-person interactions. When I asked about their thoughts on Facebook, well, you already know that response.

While I never imagined I would spend my 40th birthday talking to teenagers about social media, the conversation was very informative and has sparked ongoing dialogue with my niece. I also received a crash course on Snapchat at dinner that night. Unfortunately, I retained very little. So a week later (the next time my niece and I spent time together), I received my second Snapchat lesson. I enjoyed watching and listening to her explain the different features and settings. I have been her math tutor her whole life, so it was fun to switch roles. She showed me about memories, stories, friends, filters, and more I am sure. It looks fun and exciting. And I want to jump right in, but I am not sure how. What snap do I send and to who? It seems weird to send a snap to someone, who I have never snapped (can it be used like that?) before.

How about you? How do you Snapchat?

Teens and Social Media (Part 2): Benefits, Risks, and Monitoring

Last week I ran a poll on Twitter to gather information about people's beliefs about teenage use of social media. Three-fourths of respondents believed that teenagers spend too much time on social media. Of course the sample was very small (n = 4), but I believe it accurately portrays current attitudes. The question then is if teenagers are in fact spending too much time on social media, how can educators harness that power for greater purposes? What are the risks/benefits of teenage social media use? This will be the focus of my next several blog posts. I will be exploring the research on social media and secondary education. I will also intersperse my own beliefs and ideas, as well as those of my niece and her best friend (mentioned in my first post "Teens and Social Media" on 7/6).

According to a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a large portion of the emotional and social development of teenagers (and preteens) is occurring while online or through cell phones making it an important issue for pediatricians (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). The report is designed to help pediatricians inform parents about the benefits and risks of their child/children's use of social media. The five benefits of social media include: 1) providing opportunities for community engagement, 2) enhancing creativity (both individual and collectively), 3) generating new ideas, 4) expanding connections, and 5) fostering identity. This is a great list to keep in mind as we try to utilize social media for educational purposes. For example, as educators we don't want to force material into a medium, instead we want to let the medium guide the material. Is watching a lecture on YouTube that different from watching one in person in class? I would argue, no. However, turning an in-class discussion on the use of ratios in the real world into a Twitter feed, might increase participation and enjoyment for students. (My next post will dive deeper into the use of social media in education).

The report also lists several of the well-known risks for social media use among teenagers, such as cyber-bullying, privacy issues, and unknown third party influences.  The AAP encourages pediatricians to understand that many parents "lack a basic understanding of these new forms of socialization" and do not realize that online interactions are extensions of their child/children's offline lives (p. 801). It is therefore the responsibility of pediatricians to help parents address these challenges. One suggestion is to discuss with parents the importance of actively engaging with their children about online activities, supervising through participation and communication instead of relying on a monitoring program.

So, what about the field of education? What is our responsibility regarding teenage use of social media? This is a big debate among educators, administrators, schools and districts. Below is the link to a video from Education Week about one school districts response to these questions. It is a great overview of both sides of the debate. You can check it out here.

What do you think? Is the field of education doing enough to ensure the safety and well-being of students in this age of virtual connections and online communication?


References:
O'Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-0054

Special Edition Blog: "Networked" Reading Jigsaw Chapter 5

According to the fifth chapter of the text, Networked: The new social operating system (Rainie & Wellman, 2012), when you see someone sitting alone with a device (e.g., cellphone, laptop), the person is not alone. Most likely he or she is connected to at least one person (if not many) at that moment. We are all connected individuals with "Networked Relationships".

Photo by blondinrikard licensed under CC-BY

The chapter begins with the critics' argument against increased use of the internet; it is destroying communities by shifting people away from in-person interactions and into virtual ones. However, it is the main assertion of the chapter that the connection of an individual to his/her personal network is stronger due to the constant connection internet and mobile technology offers its users. Rainie and Wellman (2012) provide evidence demonstrating internet contact, in-person contact, and phone contact are additive (not diminishing) forms of communication. Digital communciation extends in-person activities; it doesn't replace them. Research shows people are actually more connected due to the increase in online communication, having both large and helpful networks. 

According to Rainie and Wellman, internet and mobile technology have transformed not destroyed community. They suggest a shift to viewing communities as "fluid personal networks, rather than as static neighborhood or family groups" (p. 122). Physical location plays a much smaller role in determining position within a personal network than in the traditional definitions. In a personal network the onus is now on the individual to maintain and manage the community (i.e., connections). The authors offer the visual image of an amoeba to describe a "networked self", with the nucleus of the amoeba representing the core members of the network and the changing pseudopods of the amoeba representing the different reconfigurations of the individual to the outer network connections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pR7TNzJ_pA

The chapter discusses size and configurations of personal networks, stating the larger the personal network, the more diverse and supportive it is. Also, larger personal networks have a greater proportion of friends than smaller networks. However, the mixtures of personal networks are relatively the same - family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues - with different levels and types of connections. One measure used to determine the level of connection is "closeness", which is hard to define. Earlier research depended on the idea that "closeness" relied on whether a person "discussed important matters" with someone. "Closeness" means different things in different relationships and settings, and to different people. The connections in personal networks are often specialized, allowing for a greater variety of support. The authors discuss how social networking sites are powerful tools people depend on to manage their personal networks, with Facebook being the most popular and influential. They state Facebook "has become a personal portal embodying the networked individual" (p. 143).

So, what do you think? Does the internet pull people away from their connections or does it help strengthen connections? Is social media making us more connected or more alone? 

Teens and Social Media

As someone with a focus on secondary education, teenagers and  social media is an important aspect of how to use Web 2.0 for teaching and learning. So this week, I have decided to focus my blog on this topic. To begin, I am going to share some first hand observations.

This week I have observed my niece and her best friend while on a family vacation. They are both entering high school in the fall. (I recognize this is in no way a representative sample. However, it provides a good starting point.) Here are the highlights:

1. Connection to social media was almost constant, regardless of what was happening around (even while at Disney World or at the pool).

2. The main forum used was Snapchat, which I am excited to be learning more about this week.

3. Interactions were mostly personal in nature. 

4. Purpose for connecting was either making new friends (summer love) or checking-in with good friends back home. 

5. Sometimes both were connecting together on one device, but often each were on their own separate devices (sitting next to one another). 

My next post will focus on an article I am currently reading from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is a clinical report titled, "The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families". 

In the meantime, what do you think about teenagers use of social media? 

Take my twitter poll and/or comment below. 

Social media and education

I have been wandering through Web 2.0 wonderland for almost a week and have begun to see the fun and benefit from engaging in more social media platforms. While I am still overwhelmed by the sheer volume of unknown, I have started a Twitter account, a LinkedIn account, and research exploring the possible communities I want to join. The adventure is well underway!

My last post focused on my first venture into the realm of Twitter, where I encountered an interesting tweet about the top 10 skills students need (shown below).

I did not have anyone respond to the question I posed about the role of social media in developing these skills. While my post did not spark a discussion, it did spark my own reflection and research on using social media for learning and instruction. An initial interesting thing to note is that when I searched on Google Scholar the terms "social media" and learning, I got over 460,000 hits. When I searched the terms "social media" and teaching, I got over 150,000 hits. There is definitely a lot of information out there to digest. For this post, I will focus on one report I found that I think fits really well into the discussions around the use of social media in education. 

In 2013, Pearson released a report titled, "Social Media for Teaching and Learning" (linked here). A stratified sample was taken from 1.5 million teaching faculty in higher education, resulting in almost 8,000 survey respondents. It is a very interesting read and contained many helpful infographics to illustrate the findings. It is a very interesting read and I find that it mirrors much of the discord that exists in education surrounding the use of social media. For example, according the report, faculty are more likely to use social media in their personal lives than in their classrooms. However almost 80% of survey respondents stated that digital communication increased their communication with students; and, almost 60% agreed (or strongly agreed) that the interactivity of social media creates impactful learning opportunities. In contrast, almost the same percent agreed or strongly agreed that social media is more distracting to studenta than it is helpful (Seaman & Tinti-Kane, 2013).

Obviously the debate over the helpfulness/hurtfulness of social media rages on, even within individual educators. To me, I think social media definitely has a place in the classroom. My research interests center around design, development, and evaluation of interactive learning technologies. Before embarking on my journey into Web 2.0, my idea of interactive learning technologies lived mainly in the realm of digital game based learning or problem based learning activities. As I dive deeper into all Web 2.0 has to offer, I am excited to expand my definition of interactive learning technologies to include programs such as 

How about you? Are you using any interactive learning technologies in your classrooms? If so, what are your favorites?

Reference:

Seaman, J., & Tinti-Kane, H. (2013). Social media for teaching and learning. UK: Pearson Learning Systems.

tweedly deedly dee... tweet, tweet

"He rocks in the tree tops all day long

Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song

All the little birdies on Jaybird Street

Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet"

(lyrics from Rockin Robin by Bobby Day, written by Leon René under the pseudonym of Jimmie Thomas, 1958)

When I think about Twitter, I always start singing this song in my head. It is one of my all time favorites. It was originally recorded by Bobby Day and was released by Michael Jackson in 1972. (If you haven't heard it before you can check out the original here.)

I actually think this song is fairly appropriate theme song for Twitter for more than the "tweet"s. = )

If you look at the lyrics it talks about how all the birds love to hear the robin's tweets. I think that is fairly true for the people active on Twitter. They love to hear other's tweets and to tweet themselves. I am excited that I have now added my voice to the collective tweets. You can find me on twitter @Ginny7s.

My first tweet was a retweet about 10 critical 21st century skills students need.  I am interested if you think social media and Web 2.0 can help build any of these skills and if so, how? You can respond here on my blog or on Twitter.

I look forward to connecting with you!

My first "Aha" moment of the course!

Okay, so I feel like I have actually begun my journey into Web 2.0 now. I feel a little like an explorer in a new land; there is very little that is familiar (the focus of my first post). It has been great to read blogs from my classmates, echoing the same sentiments. I know I am not alone. I am definitely feeling a bit overwhelmed, but excited about the new opportunities to expand my digital sphere.

Before starting my PhD, my digital sphere included email, Facebook, and online media (Netflix, PBS kids, Pandora, Amazon). When I started my PhD, I added a few new tools to my toolbox for document sharing (onedrive, googledocs). Everything else is basically new to me. This has been my first real "Aha" moment of the course. The truth of how little I know is causing me to reevaluate some of my personal beliefs, specifically my belief that I am tech savvy. It is a label I have worn for many years, but now I am not so sure that it fits. This disconnect has caused me to become retrospective. Did that label every truly fit? Where did it come from?

I suppose it started with my love of video games as a kid (which has continued into adulthood). During high school digital technology was just beginning to explode. As a Freshman in high school, my class was the first to be offered "keyboarding" instead of "typing" as an elective. I am older so personal computers where not really a thing for the masses yet. However, my parents were college professors, so they had computers in their offices that I could practice using. When the college upgraded their computer systems, my parents asked the college if they could buy one of the old computers. So when I went to college, I was one of the few students who had a computer of my own. However, it was really only a word processing machine. (For you older readers, it had one of those really slow dot matrix printing machines where the pages where all connected and you had to tear them apart and tear of the sides.) I used it to write papers for my classes, but that was it. Not super tech savvy, but I was a technology user.

It was not until 3 years later that I got my first email account and started using the world wide web. Soon to follow was my first cell phone. It is funny looking back, but I was one of the people originally opposed to cell phones. I saw it as a leash. I can remember saying to my friends, "If I am out, then I am out. You can leave me a message, and I will get it when I get home. I don't need to be accessible 24/7!" (Perhaps this warrants a separate post. It is pretty funny to me how much has changed since then. Now I don't even own a home phone).

I became familiar with the Microsoft suite of programs throughout my undergraduate career and my first professional career as a statewide trainer. I had a Myspace page and began using email regularly during this time. However, I still don't think I considered myself tech savvy. I think it was my second professional career as a middle school teacher where I first put on this identity. Not long after I was hired at a local charter school (SAS - the best school in Tallahassee), I was approached by my principal to provide a list of technology I would like to have in my classroom. I was super excited! Throughout my master's degree program in math education, I was wowed by the many tools technology could bring into the classroom, especially SMART boards. So,  I requested a SMART board, SMART remotes, graphing calculators, and a graphing calculator presenter. I got everything I asked for and my classroom became technology charged. Before long, I was the SMART board guru of my school. I setup training sessions with experts to build my own knowledge base, and soon I was leading my own training sessions to help other teachers more fully utilize their SMART boards. I became the technology person at the school; and for the next 7 years, I continued my journey into educational technology, mostly through informal learning.

I have continued to use the tech savvy label to describe myself... until now, upon encountering this course.

I guess the point of this post is that I never realized how much I did not know and how behind the technology curve I am currently. I guess the saying is true, "You don't know, what you don't know."

Cycling back to the beginning of this post, I am excited to be on this journey. Hopefully by the end of this course, I can again feel comfortable with the "tech savvy" label. As for now, I think I will choose the label "tech novice". = )

I would love to hear from others. What has been your biggest "Aha" moment of this course so far?

My first blog

I am embarking on a new adventure... actually several new adventures at once. And, I am inviting you to come along with me. I am new to blogging. This is actually my first one. I aim to make this space both reflective and informative, as I document my journey through the Web 2.0 world. By inviting you to travel with me down this new path, I seek your input and knowledge. I know this journey will be richer and more rewarding in the company of other great explorers!

See you at the next checkpoint...