Resizing photos using Irfanview

I have to admit that I am a huge advocate of sharing, collaborating, and of developing new skills within 21^st Century challenges. I am constantly amazed by the potential of new online tools. When I think of social networking, I think of programs like MySpace, Friendster and Facebook. The digital immigrant, digital native scenario kicks in here as I am not really interested in sharing my personal life and pictures to this extent. The idea that my friends can share me with their friends is a little unsettling to me. It is the personal nature of these sites that I shy away from.

I decided to revisit the idea of social networking after reading a Nov.13, 2007 post by David Warlick called Participation Requested… He was presenting at a conference, two sessions over two days on Social Networking for Educators. David posed four questions about social networking that would be the focus of his presentation. He wanted to model the social networking process for participants. David created a wiki called Social Networking for Teachers. On his blog, (I imagine he sent out a few Tweets as well) the morning of the first session, he invited all of his readers to answer the following questions by editing his wiki.

1. What is Social Networking?
2. What are some of the differences between how our students use social networking and how professional educators use it?
3. What are your favourite social networking applications?
4. What’s the latest thing you learned from a social network?

The best example of social networking then evolved for the participants of the conference. David Warlick’s wiki was soon populated with the thoughts and opinions of social networking from all over the world. There is a geo-tagged map on the wiki to show where all of the contributors are located.

The definition of social networking that I can build on involves a support system, a community of people with similar interests, breaks down physical boundaries, supports learning as a social process, sharing information, collaborating, asking questions and building meaning through the process.

Vickie Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) made a comment at the Edubloggercon, we should no longer use the term social networking, rather “professional networking”, and “student networking” might be a better direction. She feels that social networking may have some negative connotations in an educational setting.

In a comment to David Warlick’s blog, someone insisted that he should really, really, really use Danah Boyd’s definition.

“A “social network site” is a category of websites with profiles, semi-persistent public commentary on the profile, and a traversable publicly articulated social network displayed in relation to the profile.”

Differences between how our students and professional educators use social networking, reiterates my personal concerns about social networking. Our students use it as an everyday tool to keep in touch with their network, educators use it for professional support and are less social. A group of future administrators were asked this question, “how to you social network”… they said… “go out with colleagues or friends”, “dinner parties”, “talk on the phone”, “exercise together” “email”. I then asked how their kids are socially networking. They said “cell phones”, “MySpace”, “FaceBook”, “Blogs”, “Text Messaging”…and more. They were very aware of the things that kids were doing, but weren’t yet employing them in their own lives.

Contributors to the wiki were asked about their favourite social networking application, I only see Facebook once in the list. Some of the applications that were listed: Twitter, Ning, Skype, Flickr, Blogs, RSS Feeds (Bloglines or Google Reader), Google Docs, UStream, De.lici.ous and Second Life. Was Vickie Davis’ opinion correct, to separate “Professional Networking” and “Student Networking”?

The final question was to state the last thing you learned from a social network. This is where I love the collaborative, sharing nature of the network. I have read, researched, and learned amazing amounts of information through my Bloglines account. I am using social networking for exactly this purpose. Ideas stated on the wiki ranged from personal – my good friend just had her second daughter- to professional – how these tools can be applied in my class, teachers in Shanghai and Canada are doing the same things I am doing, and profoundly, that I get more than I give.

Is there a difference between a social network and a personal learning network? A social network requires sharing information and ideas with each other, a personal learning network may not require as much social interaction. A social network is not inherently about learning, other than social skills.

I will reflect briefly on the implications of social networking on academic research and writing. The ability to communicate and collaboration at global levels must enhance and develop an issue. Research could be more creative and writing more informative. Adapting to the information and the way we send and receive it will be an evolving skill for all types of business in the 21^st Century. Educating people to use Creative Commons attributions, to recognition someone’s work will become a more important piece of the research.

In conclusion, I think that most people will operate within their comfort zone. Although I may not jump on the Facebook bandwagon, and my 19 year old son thanks me, I definitely see the implications of social interaction and learning. Learning is a social process. I will find the tools that I feel are best for each application, but I will promote networking as a strategy for learning. We are teaching our students to be life-long learners. Statistics show that young people will have several jobs throughout their working lives. People will have to learn new skills and techniques, networks will be invaluable. It appears that social networking is fast becoming a fixture in our society. The benefits that we see now, is just the beginning!

Citations:

Warlick, D (2007, November 13). Participation Requested…. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from 2 Cents Worth Web site: http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

Boyd, D. (2006, November 10). Social Network Sites: My Definition. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from apophenia: making connection where none previously existed Web site: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2006/11/10/social_network_1.html

I was tickled to have a comment on my post about the Christmas Wiki from the author of the wiki, an educator from New Zealand. How she was able to find my post? I remember Alan November – Teaching Zach to Think - talks about tracking links to your blog or to any site for that matter. I think you put link: in front of the URL. Does anyone have a better understanding of how to track the links to and from your blog?

One last thing, there is a new commoncraft video on blogs. Another good one!

Andy Kiel – pres elect of ManAce starts the evening off. We are using Dean Shareski’s twitter feed and are UStreaming the event. You can watch us right now!

Chris Harbeck – teacher at Sargeant Park, blog – Making It Interesting! Chris read a poem, thinking of William Shatner, I am Canadian…..I am a teacher(will create a slidecast). Release the Hounds wiki. He is an edublogger.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mb-edubloggercon – This is the UStream broadcast. There is a lot of chatter on the UStream -someone from Pert, Australia.
Clarence Fisher – from Snow Lake, drove his new truck down to Winnipeg. Even though he lives in a remote area, he is able to do everything he wants to do via web 2.0 tools. He blogs to dump the ideas out of his head, it is also a selfish act, people will comment on his block and say, have you thought of this? Talking about his professional blog – Remote Access. And his classroom blogs – Upload. He has started an international project – Thin Walls – not called a project. Matched with a classroom in California, they spend time working with the other class everyday. This project will not be completed in 4 weeks, it will continue all year. Clarence is taking about the tools that the teachers decided to use, however, the students have used the technology that they are familiar with. It works! The two classes have just finished reading The Outsiders, they are creating a wiki to hold a project that they have decided upon. They are using Google Docs, Google Presentations. Clarence will be introducing Twitter next week. Referred to Teen Life Project Wiki – loaded with brainstorming, chats, and collaboration.

John Evans – principal St Francis Xavier – Daniel Pink – A Whole New Mind = a good presentation has levity, and brevity. He is showing us through his wiki. John is highly recommending RSS feeds as the best PD Learning Experience. John loves wikis, he is using a wiki for his school webpage, so are several school in his division. Also developed a wiki on Wellness, he has travelled across the province making presentations. John also contributes to a blog called “Leader Talk”. John is using technology to share with teachers around the world.

Dean Shareski – Moose Jaw – bleeds green – go Saskatchewan! Has a research team that works for him all of the time. They do all of the work and he shares it. His network! Who is on your research team? RSS!! Everything new comes to him. Delicious, social bookmarks shares what people are reading. Thinks of Twitter as a personalizing of his network. Asks Darren, what his problem was last night? Demonstrated Skype with Alex Couros from Regina, prof of educational technology. Now connecting with Jeff Utrecht from Shanghai, he shows Jeff the room when he say….”Where are you?” What does the network mean to you? Jeff says that this is it…..he is talking to his network in Winnipeg. If a teacher asks him for a resource he goes to Twitter and ask the question and has an answer. Large resource team! Learning happens everywhere. Brian Crosby – What does your network mean to you? He also answers – This is it! Think about where we can go with this technology!

Darren Kuropatwa – shared his blog – A Difference. Was at parent-teacher interviews, told us a story using his Consumer Math 20S Blog. Darren asks his students to reflect on their learning at the end of every unit. Pretest assessment worth one mark on a test – Blogging on Blogging- BOB. Darren uses a Smartboard in his classroom, nothing is ever erased. He saves the information from his Smartboard and then puts it into slideshare and embeds on math blog. Slides and scribe posts are available to students at anytime. He also attaches podcasts of lessons. Once a unit the students have to add one website that has really been helpful for that unit, those links are put into Delicious. Convenor for K12 Online Conference, all the podcasts are still available, don’t miss them.

(I am on the right side, wearing green)

The first session that I attended was facilitated by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis – Connections and Flat Classrooms with Web 2.0 Tools. That was a lot to take in, kind of an out of body experience. They introduced their Flat Classroom Project saying Curiosity + Passion is greater than IQ. Vicki Davis hung her iRiver recorder, taped up to hold in the batteries, around her neck and taped the session for podcast later. They had their students read sections of Thomas Friedman’s book – The World is Flat. They set up wikis, blogs, emails, Skype to collaborate between a Georgia classroom and Bangledesh International School to discuss the flatteners from the book. Assessment was based on the collaborative work with groups partnered from both classrooms. Each group made a movie together using a wiki to plan and communicate.

Teach knowledge not test writing.

Julie and Vicki talked about their new project. The Horizon Project discusses the changing world. An example, a webdesign company could have partners all over the world, creative type work done in North America, construction and programming anywhere in the world.

What defines an effective international project?

Should we call it that or is it just expected in the 2.0 world? Should include communication, holistic, multicultural? Exposing your students to something different! Diversify your students interests and learning. Project-based learning, constructivism

An Effective Global Project:

Actively engaged in project
Actively collaborate
Work on a project and the culminate with a joint activity
Wiki – discussion form
Mebo
Blogging
Elluminate classroom
Twitter

Flat classroom had separate rubrics
Horizon project had the same rubrics

Communication – consistent
Must have good control of classroom to participate
Over plan, have rubrics, state the outcomes

Where parents involved, Vicki – my standard is that I want to be the best! Trust her to keep the children safe, deal with problems privately, immediately, train the kids and the problem goes away.

Vicki described herself as a teacherpreneur.

Julie Lindsay (Left) Vicki Davis (right)

Is this interesting?  The next session was with Steve Haragon – Classroom 2.0,  a discussion on tagging. I will post about that.

 I hope that Clarence talks about his Thin-Walled Project on Thursday.

The Blue Bombers are going to the big dance! Go Blue!

I am going to race into Winnipeg on Thursday night to attend the Manitoba Edubloggercon. This is a preconference event sponsored by ManAce. There are some very accomplished bloggers that will be leading the discussion. Darren Kuropatwa, Clarence Fisher, Chris Harbeck, John Evans. I will try to live blog the discussion, maybe Twitter! There are 50-60 people registered.

Check your blogs readability level.

Interesting, but I’m not sure about the reliability!