What Does it Mean To Be "Out There?"
- Being a member of Facebook, MySpace,linkedin or other social networking sites
- Having a digital footprint
- Online Gaming
- Shopping Online
- Creating content
- Sharing online using various web 2.0 tools
- Virtual worlds
Even though the research gleaned from this study is American, I would imagine that the statistics in Canada would be very similar.
If 3/4 of our students are using social media platforms outside of school, what does this mean for educators, and education? What SHOULD this mean for educators and our education system in the 21st century? What implications will this have for the future of education?
Social Media and Me
Facebook
I have to admit that I am not a big social media kind of gal. When I lived in England, I was on facebook quite frequently as it was an excellent way to stay in touch with friends and it was free. A few years later and I rarely go on Facebook. I prefer communicating with my friends via e-mail, skype or the phone. I have recently decided to give facebook a chance again. This time, in a different way. In the past I followed people and now I am going to try following a group. I discovered that it is not really following, but it is actually called "liking a page." For example, I chose to like the School Library Journal page and this means that I am connected to that page, it appears in my profile, and the page is able to post content into my news feed.
I recently came across a blog post "10 Facebook Pages Every Techie Should Follow" but none of them piqued my interest. I was quite excited when Bobbi Newman decided to use the same idea and creat a blog post about " 6 Facebook Pages Every Librarian Should Follow, Plus 17 Bonus Pages." I took the suggestions and advice from Bobbi Newman and I am now following:
Librarian By Day: Bobbi Newman's official page
Libraries and Transliteracy: official page of the libraries and transliteracy team
American Library Association : stay up to date with the ALA and receive current information
Library Journal: stories and relevant links
Learning Round Table of the American Library Association : promotes quality continuing education for all library personnel
yalsa
Will keep me up to date on the events of the young adult library services association
If I was in a High School library I would create a page for my library similar to the ones listed above. It would be an excellent way to promote the library and to connect with students.
Online Bookshelves
I have enjoyed creating bookshelves on Shelfari for both my professional and personal books. Just recently I created an account with Goodreads. Overall I think that I prefer Goodreads because I can create more than one shelf under the same account. I think that Shelfari, Library Thing, and Goodreads are excellent social media tools that allow friends, colleagues, teachers, and students to share and recommend what they are reading. I have some colleagues, friends, and students as friends on both Shelfari and Goodreads.
Overall I like the look of Shelfari better but I find that I need a multitude of different shelves for a variety of different purposes. For example, on this blog I created a shelf that was specifically professional reads and on my library page I want to highlight books that are new. For each new account you need a new username and it can get really confusing. Goodreads is not as aesthetically pleasing but it is a lot easier to organize.
For example, on the main page it displays all of your bookshelves and categories.
The true test was to discover the ease of embedding with goodreads. It was quite simple and I was surprised at the various options of how to display the books on your blog. You can choose a flash widget, a book montage, or customize it yourself. Some other interesting widgets included: a badge for your blog, email footer that links to your books, and a quote widget to spice up your blog or webpage.
Nings
The first Ning I ever joined was The English Companion Ning. I joined almost two years ago but had not been a frequent member in the past 6 months. The last time I tried to log on I could not remember my password for the life of me. I typically have my account information stored in a folder in my e-mail but I used my old school divisions email address so it was long gone. I decided to sign up again. One of the reasons why I liked the English Companion Ning was because of the Book Clubs. Over the course of the past few years they have had authors such as: Smith and Wilhelm, Troy Hicks, Bill Kist, Jim Burke, Daniels and Harvey. I have not heard what book will be highlighted in the new year. What is so great about this opportunity is that the authors participate in the discussion and you can communicate your questions and concerns to them directly.
The other ning that I belong to is the Teacher Librarian Ning. The best part of this Ning is the opportunity to participate in a wide range of discussions. I also can stay up to date with the TL Virtual Cafe. I see that on Monday, December 8th Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey are discussing "better learning through structured teaching: a framework for the gradual release of responsibility" I recently discovered that people are blogging about YA books within the TL Ning. Yet another fantastic resource for me to access for YA literature. You never know what new ideas, resources, or links you might discover. Just tonight I found another Twitter Group to follow #engchat. Where have I been?
Social Media and The Role of the Teacher Librarian and Learning Leader
Participating in today's contemporary culture is not just about consuming, but also creating and sharing. Therefore, it is critical that we teach our students digital citizenship skills, and multimedia communication skills. Renee Hobbs policy paper, The Digital Media Literacy: A Plan For Action, presents a detailed plan for educators and policy makers to bring digital and media literacy into mainstream society. The digital and media competencies outlined in this paper also reflect the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner and the ISTE nets.
I hope to have a parent evening to discuss internet safety and to provide an opportunity for parents to ask questions and learn more about what they and their child can do to stay safe on the internet. Here are some resources that I would provide.
After watching the video the students can participate in a variety of activities that will have them exploring their own digital footprint and determining if it is representative of who they are and what they stand for. Have students:
Is There A Place For Social Media in Schools?
When I was a teenager I talked on the phone with my friends on a regular basis, as I got older I used msn, and now I use Facebook. There is nothing "new" about social media, rather it is the platter that it is served on. Leander and McKim (2003), explain that what relations and social dynamics play our in school extend into the spaces created through social media. Online and offline worlds are not separate, they are simply "different settings in which to gather with friends and peers" (Boyd, 2010, p.84). Ultimately, Boyd is saying that social media "mirror, magnify, and extend everyday social worlds. By and large, teens use social media to do what they have been doing-socialize with friends, negotiate peer groups, flirt, share stories, and simply hang out" (p.85).
As always, before using and teaching with social media tools we must ask ourselves what our purpose for using the tool is, and how it will extend and transform student learning.
Professional Learning Through Social Media
Over the past few years I have become a member of the TLNing and the English Companion Ning.
Many educational organizations have facebook pages or use other social media tools. As an educator i believe that we have a responsibility to understand the shifts that are occurring in education and to make them a part of our own practice so that we can model, share, adapt, and prepare our students for the future. There are many professional learning opportunities available for teachers using social media. You will discover that there are people out there, and that they are willing to help, share, and create with you.
References
"Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action Knight Commission: Strengthening journalism, communities and democracy in the digital age. The Aspen Institute, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.
Bellanca, J & Brandt, R (2010). 21st Century Skills:Rethinking How Students Learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
I have to admit that I am not a big social media kind of gal. When I lived in England, I was on facebook quite frequently as it was an excellent way to stay in touch with friends and it was free. A few years later and I rarely go on Facebook. I prefer communicating with my friends via e-mail, skype or the phone. I have recently decided to give facebook a chance again. This time, in a different way. In the past I followed people and now I am going to try following a group. I discovered that it is not really following, but it is actually called "liking a page." For example, I chose to like the School Library Journal page and this means that I am connected to that page, it appears in my profile, and the page is able to post content into my news feed. I recently came across a blog post "10 Facebook Pages Every Techie Should Follow" but none of them piqued my interest. I was quite excited when Bobbi Newman decided to use the same idea and creat a blog post about " 6 Facebook Pages Every Librarian Should Follow, Plus 17 Bonus Pages." I took the suggestions and advice from Bobbi Newman and I am now following:
Librarian By Day: Bobbi Newman's official page
American Library Association : stay up to date with the ALA and receive current information
Library Journal: stories and relevant links
Learning Round Table of the American Library Association : promotes quality continuing education for all library personnel
yalsa
Will keep me up to date on the events of the young adult library services association
If I was in a High School library I would create a page for my library similar to the ones listed above. It would be an excellent way to promote the library and to connect with students.
Online Bookshelves I have enjoyed creating bookshelves on Shelfari for both my professional and personal books. Just recently I created an account with Goodreads. Overall I think that I prefer Goodreads because I can create more than one shelf under the same account. I think that Shelfari, Library Thing, and Goodreads are excellent social media tools that allow friends, colleagues, teachers, and students to share and recommend what they are reading. I have some colleagues, friends, and students as friends on both Shelfari and Goodreads.
Overall I like the look of Shelfari better but I find that I need a multitude of different shelves for a variety of different purposes. For example, on this blog I created a shelf that was specifically professional reads and on my library page I want to highlight books that are new. For each new account you need a new username and it can get really confusing. Goodreads is not as aesthetically pleasing but it is a lot easier to organize.
For example, on the main page it displays all of your bookshelves and categories.
The true test was to discover the ease of embedding with goodreads. It was quite simple and I was surprised at the various options of how to display the books on your blog. You can choose a flash widget, a book montage, or customize it yourself. Some other interesting widgets included: a badge for your blog, email footer that links to your books, and a quote widget to spice up your blog or webpage. Nings
The first Ning I ever joined was The English Companion Ning. I joined almost two years ago but had not been a frequent member in the past 6 months. The last time I tried to log on I could not remember my password for the life of me. I typically have my account information stored in a folder in my e-mail but I used my old school divisions email address so it was long gone. I decided to sign up again. One of the reasons why I liked the English Companion Ning was because of the Book Clubs. Over the course of the past few years they have had authors such as: Smith and Wilhelm, Troy Hicks, Bill Kist, Jim Burke, Daniels and Harvey. I have not heard what book will be highlighted in the new year. What is so great about this opportunity is that the authors participate in the discussion and you can communicate your questions and concerns to them directly. 
The other ning that I belong to is the Teacher Librarian Ning. The best part of this Ning is the opportunity to participate in a wide range of discussions. I also can stay up to date with the TL Virtual Cafe. I see that on Monday, December 8th Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey are discussing "better learning through structured teaching: a framework for the gradual release of responsibility" I recently discovered that people are blogging about YA books within the TL Ning. Yet another fantastic resource for me to access for YA literature. You never know what new ideas, resources, or links you might discover. Just tonight I found another Twitter Group to follow #engchat. Where have I been? Social Media and The Role of the Teacher Librarian and Learning Leader
Participating in today's contemporary culture is not just about consuming, but also creating and sharing. Therefore, it is critical that we teach our students digital citizenship skills, and multimedia communication skills. Renee Hobbs policy paper, The Digital Media Literacy: A Plan For Action, presents a detailed plan for educators and policy makers to bring digital and media literacy into mainstream society. The digital and media competencies outlined in this paper also reflect the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner and the ISTE nets.
- Make responsible choices and access information by locating and sharing materials and comprehending information and ideas
- Analyze messages in a variety of forms by identifying the author, purpose and point of view, and evaluating the quality and credibility of the content
- Create content in a variety of forms, making use of language, images, sound, and new digital tools and technologies
- Reflect on one’s own conduct and communication behavior by applying social responsibility and ethical principles.
- Take social action by working individually and collaboratively to share knowledge and solve problems in the family, workplace and community, and by participating as a member of a community. (Hobbs, 2010)
I hope to have a parent evening to discuss internet safety and to provide an opportunity for parents to ask questions and learn more about what they and their child can do to stay safe on the internet. Here are some resources that I would provide.
Teaching Students to Manage Their Online Footprint
Before teaching students to manage their online footprint we too must do the same. Daniel Pink's "Two Questions That Can Change Your Life" is a great way to have students begin thinking about who they are, and what they stand for.
- Google themselves
- Spezify who you are
- Use Google Alerts to monitor what others are saying about you
Is There A Place For Social Media in Schools?
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As always, before using and teaching with social media tools we must ask ourselves what our purpose for using the tool is, and how it will extend and transform student learning.
Professional Learning Through Social Media
Over the past few years I have become a member of the TLNing and the English Companion Ning.
Many educational organizations have facebook pages or use other social media tools. As an educator i believe that we have a responsibility to understand the shifts that are occurring in education and to make them a part of our own practice so that we can model, share, adapt, and prepare our students for the future. There are many professional learning opportunities available for teachers using social media. You will discover that there are people out there, and that they are willing to help, share, and create with you.
"Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action Knight Commission: Strengthening journalism, communities and democracy in the digital age. The Aspen Institute, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.
Bellanca, J & Brandt, R (2010). 21st Century Skills:Rethinking How Students Learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Don't forget to start with the why kids should be doing this - Jenkin's work on participatory culture - rather than only about safety and privacy.
ReplyDeleteI think we don't always highlight how this is like being on the telephone for hours in the evening.