"The collaborative construction of knowledge by those willing to contribute is redifining the ways we think about teaching and learning at every level" (Module 3 Overview) Perhaps there has never been a time where this is more apparent than now in our evolving society. It's quite evident through almost every aspect of teaching and learning that we are continuing to move forward and make strides to become more effective as educators and students. The amount of technological tools at our disposal is remarkable and the degree at which people use them has truly impacted social networking. Below is a few links to sites that demonstrate the vast array of technology available for everyday use.
Twitter as a Learning Tool, Really
http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_galagan.htm
"The point of social media is to turn learning into a more participatory activity." This is what should be the goal of the curriculum and educators teaching today's students. With the help of social networkers, participating in lectures and discussion has become more commonplace for students via tools like Twitter. These types of practices are great in that it provides instant feedback whether it's students asking questions or simply posting about the topic or lesson spoke about for the day. Not only does this get them involved, but it also lets professors know what areas of their lectures need to be improved upon.
While Twitter does allow people to post thoughts and others to see them, it doubles as a way of establishing relationships. Unlike most networkers, people who use Twitter develop contacts they had not previously known. For this reason, it's a great tool in the business world. With this in mind, it has become more commonplace to see colleagues and even companies 'tweeting' to their fellow workers or customers. This allows consumers to provide instant feedback. In the world of social networking, Twitter is not a vast tool allowing for extremely large amounts of information to be processed, "But for the moment, nothing else is as immediate or growing as fast." Perhaps for this very reason it has become effective in both everyday life, along with the classroom as it provides us with instant feedback; matching the way in which many of us live our lives, fast and on the go.
10 Principles for the Future of Learning
http://eduratireview.com/2009/07/10-principles-for-future-of-learning.html/
Although short, this article delves into a look at the future of learning and how the presence of technology greatly affects what is to come. The 10 principles discussed are as follows, "Self learning, horizontal structures, from presumed authority to collective credibility, a de-centered pedagogy, networked learning, open source learning, learning as connectivity and interactivity, learning institutions as mobilizing networks, flexible scalability and simulation, and (in my opinion most important) lifelong learning." As an educator, regardless of the amount of information you know or have acrued over the years, remaining stagnant is never an option in teaching. There is always much to be learned and just as technology continues to change and provide new opportunities and valuable tools, so to should we continue to expand upon our knowledge. Using technology available to us will only make us as educators more effective in the long run.
Twitter Goes to College
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/06/02/twitter-goes-to-college.html
How do you get a lecture hall filled with far too many students to have personal interaction with thinking and actively participating? The answer is Twitter. While most people see Twitter as merely a micro-blog wherein we follow our favorite celebrities or sports stars to see what they ate for lunch, one teacher found an effective way to use the social networker, Twitter, in her classroom. Encouraging students to post about questions or the lecture allowed more of them to engage and brought about an exciting learning environment. These types of stories are happening everywhere as more and more teachers and students are giving the social networkers in their classrooms a try. The effect has been great from a teaching standpoint as just as we hope to provide new, exciting material to our students, the vast social network capabilities allows students to stay connected and be creative. One reason why Twitter is growing in popularity amongst educators is that "Twitter is more about creating connections with others who may not be your real friends." This requires students to begin developing relationships which is a necessity in the global job market. Also, the benefits of Twitter are seen in that "It's all right in the moment" when it comes to this social networker. Students are constantly streaming about course requirements, upcoming events; really anything going on in their lives. It's great because like so many other tools such as Skype and Blogs, Twitter is another tool that extends learning outside of the classroom which often times, is where a great deal of knowledge is obtained.
Why Skype is the Most Valuable Tool I Use
http://mrrobbo.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/why-skype-is-the-most-valuable-tool-i-use/
Just as I had mentioned prior, Skype is one of the most effective networking tools. Although the internet connections can pose a problem, the instant messaging tool associated with Skype is a great addition. The author of this article demonstrates how effectively Skype can be used in the classroom as she delves into the uses she has incorporated within her own classroom. Just as we all found out through using Skype, it is a tremendous tool when it comes to collaborating with friends or classmates. This teacher talks about the impact Skype has had on her students after she introduced the program to them. She comments that, "The repoire I have been able to establish through conversations I have with students outside of school hours has been excellent!" One of the beneficial uses of Skype is that at any time you can post a comment or question to one of your contacts either visually or simply through an instant message. This allows students to not only interact with one another, but develop a relationship with their teacher as well where they feel comfortable to ask questions and have meaningful interactions. This actually takes learning to another level and "...proves the power of being connected."
Mind your Blackberry or Mind your Matters
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/us/22smartphones.html?_r=3&hp
While technology continues to improve at a rapid pace, so to do the gadgets we use everyday for enjoyment. The proper etiquette for business meetings seems to have shifted in the past few years with the emergence of the blackberry and Iphones. Within this article the author comments on an executive that remarks, "A few years ago, only 'the investment banker types' would use BlackBerrys in meetings...Now it's everybody." Although it appears that we have become an extremely needy society; one in which we are constantly checking updates through emails and even on facebook, the desire to check phones during meetings comes with mixed responses. On one hand, the author states that "Playful electronic bantering can stimulate creativity in meetings...(through) jokes, ideas, questions..." On this side of the fence, using the technology allows others to be loose and in exchange, helps to loosen those up around them as well. In contrast to this however, many people claim that in their own experiences, personal technology use in meetings is not good and "...business relationships can be jeopardized." It's imperative to know the climate in the room in regards to social networking whereas not to affend anyone through checking updates. Ultimately though, much of the technology and social networking discussion delves into the topic of image. Everyone wants to appear important and just as social networking allows you to stay connected, electronic connections ensure the meeting must be interesting or your colleagues will find a better way to occupy their time.
It's quite obvious looking at these different tools just how fortunate we are as future educators to use so many social networks to our advantage. I know when I begin teaching in Physical Education, I will definitely incorporate these different tools into my teaching style. While Phys Ed may not seem to fit the mold as a traditional class using new technology, the things I've learned from these articles truly shows just how beneficial social networkers can be to any class. The use of Twitter in class discussion is a great idea in my opinion. Similarly, I always thought of Skype as more of a student to student interaction when I know see just how effective speaking with a teacher could be outside of the classroom. This allows us to constantly be learning and always looking to improve ourselves. As far as in Phys Ed though, I think Skype could be used without question. Having a guest speaker would be a great way to get students interested, especially if it was perhaps a known athlete discussing the importance of education. In addition, like any other subject, Skype can be used to interact outside of the class if a student had a question or perhaps needed a more thorough description of the material. Similarly, as I've already discussed in prior Modules, there is countless other technological tools available that would be great in Phys Ed like Flickr and the Screencasting tool. I don't think Twitter would be effective from a teacher to student standpoint; I do think it could be beneficial to your other colleagues. Twitter is more of a moment by moment picture and being that students will not have access to phones or computers in class, there really is no way of posting what they are doing. On the other hand, teachers can post their lesson for the day, any questions they may have to other teachers, or even just keep up to date with current events happening in the school. Regardless though, while the limitations for using social networker in Phys Ed appear to be there in some ways, there are many ways in which social networkers will prove effective in my classroom. Althought I hope to spend most of my time actively teaching students how to enjoy exercise, there will be days in which I emphasize the benefits of networking.
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