Journal 8 Meets NETS-T 5 C and D

Christie Greenhow, Initials. (2009). Tapping the wealth of social networks for professional development. Leading and Learning, 36(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3620082009/JuneJulyNo8/L_L_June_July_2009.htm

Some people view social networking only as a fun way to waste time, but if you really look into the different uses of social networking, you will find that there are many benefits and that time wasting does not happen if used productively. There are so many benefits of social bookmarking that I can only name a few. One extremely important benefit is that sites like Twitter can be an opportunity to get breaking news to the public faster then it is now. Twitter had potential for this because it gets updated in “real time”. This means that the second someone “tweets” something, everyone following that person can see the breaking news. The Internet has such great potential for collaboration. For instance, if someone posts breaking news on Twitter, another person that knows more information can add to what the first person previously tweeted. I was amazed to read that social networking sites like facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have millions of users all over the world. I would never have thought it would have been that many people. Many social networking sites like blogs, micro blogging and video and audio casting are only beginning to become well known. We know so many great ways to use this technology, but it still has so much more potential. This type of technology is always evolving and I think it has so much more potential then we know about. It is making the transition from just social networking to “educational networking” and I know it will continue to be an asset to education.

Do you think students will be able to use sites like this at a young age (for instance in elementary school)?

Yes. I think elementary students would easily be able to figure out how to use social networking sites, even for education purposes. They have grown up using technology, almost as long they have known how to write their name. They already have “dual citizenship” in the real world and in the technological world. It is us who have to learn because it comes natural to the kids.

What social bookmarking tool would you use as a future educator in the classroom.

I would probably use the blogging tool the most. I would post homework on it and post an overview of what we did that day to my students’ parents. I would also probably use Twitter for updates and to answer any questions that any of my students or their parents might have.