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.
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:
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!
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.
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
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".
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?
