I logged into my CEP 810 class with the goal of getting all of my weeks work done tonight, but after spending several hours simply exploring, I must come back tomorrow to get the real work done. For some reason, browsing social network sites, even though they were all about school, just doesn't feel like real work. I must get over this mental hurdle.
I think social networking sites will play a big role in my professional life. I am amazed by the resources I found on Ning. I have submitted to become part of 3-4 groups already. It was amazingly easy to find several high interest groups in a short period of time. I also emailed these links to several of my friends, slowly expanding my PLN. Last year, we ran our school/teacher book club through a wiki space. We posted comments and thoughts on each chapter as we read the book in addition to meeting fact to face. I like some of the sites that we learned about even better because of the ability to add widgets and other types of information in an easy manner. These sites will become a regular part of my professional development and the professional development I run.
I am the last of my friends to not have a facebook page. I feel that I am missing out, but worry about the amount of time I will lose. I do see the value in keeping in touch with many people quickly. I am always the last to know anything. I plan to start a personal facebook page this summer. I have used a wiki to communicate with the baseball team I coach and can see tremendous value in being able to share team updates, including pictures in a secure setting, especially when the content involves kids.
I participated in a book chat with a 5th grade class this year on a wiki page. I was amazed how often the students posted answers to questions from the teacher and each other. After some experimenting by the teacher, I was impressed how little side chatter there was and how focused the discussion became. I think there is tremendous educational value to be found. I have also used Skype to communicate with schools around the world. Our school is getting several technology updates this summer and will be ready to do this on a more massive scale next year.
I appreciate the way this class has opened my mind at a time when we actually have the technology to support the growth.
The ways in which you are already using networking programs (wiki, Ning, Skype, etc) are ways that allow you to communicate and collaborate with many different groups of people. The 5th grade wiki page sounds like a great example of engaging students. I really think students helping one another allows for more independent thinking and confidence building. Enjoy growing with your new technology resources!
ReplyDelete