5.1-social+networking

For the social networking topic I decided to do a little research on Facebook. I already have a profile and I know how to use it socially so I wanted idea of how it could be used as a teaching tool. The first site I came across talked about how you can create a page dedicated directly to one subject and add members which would be great for online discussions. The post also talked about ideas such as posting a weekly question that all students must answer and put their feedback in. I think this is a great idea!

There was one thing that I found that talks about how sometimes it is helpful for the teacher to have weekly online hours. This would help the students who have questions about an assignment or just need some clarification. This is a great idea for students who need immediate help with homework on the weekends.It is much more practical than email.

The other things I found were some problems with it such as, students would get sidetracked and use it for social reasons rather than for educational purposes. I mean who does not get sidetracked by Facebook? I know I do. Also that some students are just rephrasing other students answers to questions so it is not independent work. There are many things that work well with Facebook but it doesn't go without its flaws. Since I want to teach math I believe that I would use this site by posting a complex math problem once a week and have the students collaborate on the page or ask questions if they get stuck. Then on Fridays they would bring in the answer to the question. This incorporates cooperative learning as well as technology. I believe this would also give students the chance to ask questions privately through messages that way they no not need to be shy about anything.

Facebook it in theory a great tool and it may work or it may not but realistically it may be hard for every student to get access to a computer or internet. This could be hard for students who are not as well off as other. I would make sure that everyone had access before assigning anything like this.

Linkedin is extremely important when it comes to putting yourself out there and trying to find a job. It is a place to put your information down and makes a person very easy to find and get a hold of. This is hard to incorporate into something like a math class but it can be particularly helpful when it comes to a class that is prepping you for a job. The class can help you create a well done resume and then the Linkedin can help you get noticed by companies.

Ning is a social networking site where you create your own network and make a community type atmosphere. This is a very good idea for schools because you can post blogs or pictures which is similar to Facebook. I would definitely use a tool like this in my class and maybe even over Facebook because the students may be a little less familiar so they may not get so distracted. It would be a place to post a simple math question a week or even a place to post their own questions when they are study for an exam.

Elgg is a different type of networking because it is not a website, rather, it is a free software to download. It is also not intended to be a socializing program because its main features are blogs, microblog, and file sharing. I think this would be very beneficial to teaching because I would be abel to have students upload their papers or outlines and other students can use others as a tool to creating their own papers. I live by the rule that you cannot have too many examples and references.  Overall, I think I would you Ning the most because it is unfamiliar to most younger students and that could work in a teachers favor so the students can have this specific network as a education network and then they stick to Facebook or Twitter for socializing purposes!

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