Journal #8 - KM - Tapping the Wealth of Social Networks for Professional Development - NETS-T 5c for all journals - NETS-T 3b (article focus)

Greenhow, C. (2009). Tapping the wealth of social networks for professional development. Learning & Leading, 36(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3620082009/JuneJulyNo8/36810g.pdf

NETS-T - 5c - ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND LEADERSHIP
- evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning

I am a member of ISTE, and reading/evaluating various journal articles helps me discover emerging digital tools that can be used in the classroom to support student learning.

ARTICLE FOCUS: NETS-T 3b- MODEL DIGITAL-AGE WORK AND LEARNING
- collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation

This article talks about how teachers can collaborate with peers using digital tools to support student success. In the article, teachers use social networking tools to talk about different projects and ideas that they have had success using in their classroom. They also pose questions to their peers. For example they might ask if anyone has a great science lesson on the rock cycle. The article also addresses how technology can be used more effectively in the classroom.

This article summary was written directly onto a "new post" on my blog using the Blogger tool.

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This article discussed the incredible power of social networking sites like Twitter. Social networking sites can be used to ascertain the answers to questions posed, and as a medium for learning about the latest news. These social networks (Twitter, Facebook and MySpace) allow for the collaboration of ideas where opinions can be made known publicly. In addition, people can increase their knowledge and intelligence through the input of others. The article stresses the need for educators to study how technology is integrated in our schools, what increases its use among students and teachers, and how technology will impact our students' education in the long run. Up until now, not much research has been done on the use of social networking technologies by teachers because it is such a new concept.

The author of this article noticed a couple of trends occurring in regards to the use of social networks among educators. The first trend is the increased use of bookmarking sites like Delicious, Diigo and CiteULike. By using these bookmarking sites, teachers have been cooperatively sharing links to educational articles, websites and books. This helps expand the collective resources and knowledge base for all educators. The second trend observed is the use of social networking sites like Facebook, Classroom 2.0, Ning, and Twitter to gain emotional support and recognition from other educators. Social networking allows educators to share ideas with an untold number of educators. Therefore you can incorporate other educator's brilliant ideas into your curriculum. Also, if you have a problem, you can pose it to the social network and quickly come up with viable solutions from educators who have encountered the same problems. This social networking forum allows for improvement in educational practices through the incorporation of new ideas, and it allows for teachers to receive recognition from their peers in a profession that is often lacking in this regard. This recognition may even lead to opportunities to develop oneself professionally through the grants or time off to pursue a special project.

In regards to social networking among teenagers, the accolades given by peers for a creative blog post, creative writing, or a self-made video jprovides encouragement. This has a positive impact on their self esteem. Teenagers can also benefit from the emotional support provided by these sites during times of change and emotional upheaval such as the transition to college. They could also get support for school projects or assignments.

1. Will the advent of social networks alienate students from their families in terms of seeking advice on matters of significance? I think that students will still seek advice from parents on matters of importance despite the fact that social networks are available. Social networking provides an excellent forum for discussion amongst teenagers about issues they are facing, but the culture, wisdom and unconditional love present in families supersedes any information and emotional support attained through the use of social networking sites.

2. Is there too great a risk in using social networking sites in regards to potential cyberpredation? While there certainly is a risk in all that one does, in this case cyberpredation, the judicial use of privacy settings and information provided online can thwart this potential threat. Users of social networking sites need to be careful about information they provide about themselves. "Less is better" is a good rule to follow. Limit the information you provide about yourself online. Be careful not to get too personal with someone you don't know online.