The group that I joined on diigo was brain
hacking. I joined this group because I am very interested in brain
research as it is related to teaching and learning. This diigo group is a
full of websites and articles related to how the brain works, and ways to alter
the way the brain works. I’ve an interest in this topic since I began working
on my masters and have been studying and reading articles on brain mind
education. The science end of the research is very interesting, but the
reading is very heavy; therefore many teachers are reluctant to look into this
practice. I find it intriguing to understand the brain and as was an
educator I believe it is my responsibility to understand how people learn.
Social networking sites have become a very
popular way for people of all ages to communicate, collaborate, and stay in
touch with friends , acquaintances, loved ones, family members, and business
associates. Social networking sites are appealing to people of all ages,
races, sexes, and genders. They have changed how we communicate and made
it easier to reach out to people from your past.
I think for youth in particular
social networking sites give one a sense of identity. They allow youth to
participate socially and keep up to date on the latest trends and highlight
their own personal interests. Adults are attracted to social
networking sites for some of the same reasons as younger people, but I believe
networking and family connections are the main attraction. Rather young
or old social networking sites appeal to all ages because they allow us to
communicate in a very non threatening manner.
Currently, I believe social networking can
be a distraction for most educational settings, unless a page is being used for
educational reasons. The school I work at is piloting
Facebook. Teachers are allowed to access their sites, but are monitored
for activity. I have several teaching resources I access through Facebook, such
as scholastic, donors.org, NASA, ODE, and a few others. I’ve
also used it once with my students to show a photo of a bald eagle my aunt took
and posted to her page. The students had read a nonfiction article about
bald eagles and the role of the division of wildlife. I ran across my aunt’s
post and pictures and shared it with my students. They were engaged and
interested in me sharing part of my life with them. I will be the first
one to admit I am tempted to check my Facebook during the work day; it is
usually open on my desk top.
I use Facebook and LinkedIn. I just
recently became a member of LinkedIn and I use this site primarily to follow
educators and current research trends. I plan on keeping this site purely
professional. A parent of one of my students sent me an invitation.
She is currently working on her bachelor’s in education and after a
conversation we realized we shared many of some philosophies when it came to
education. I try to keep my Facebook strictly social, but I do have a few
colleagues. I have had issues in the past that have caused some
controversy with my work place. An employee reported to a dean that I
posted a comment on a day I called off sick. It wasn’t really an issue
with my superiors, but it upset me that my colleague tried to take it there.
I’ve also had to ask some of my friends and family to watch what they say on
their page due to my ethical obligation as a teacher. Overall, I use
Facebook to keep current with my friends and family and to find teaching ideas
and resources.
I, too, am very interested in brain research. I have had 3 closed head injuries, so I have always been interested in the brain. I think that it’s fascinating how people in different generations have differences in their brains and how it affects learning. Recently I have been reading a lot about current students’ brains actually being wired differently for/by a technology generation than the brains of adults who grew up without as much technology.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried edmodo? It is a social networking site, almost identical to Facebook, but it’s solely for education. I think that’s very interesting that your school is piloting Facebook. I’d love to hear about it some more at the end of the year and how it went. I used Twitter when I was teaching. The students loved it, but I was hesitant. I did not want to see some of the things I figured my students were tweeting. However, it worked out great. I think it actually taught my students how to better represent themselves on social networking sites, and they learned to be appropriate and respectful.
Hi Renee,
ReplyDeleteFirst off your Diigo group sounds very interesting. I do not think that we can ever have enough research about how people learn because further research that is ultimately put into practice leads to more efficient and meaningful learning.
I really liked your in depth discussion of privacy issues with regard to others snooping on your FB page for instance. I really do wonder how much damage will ensue in the future as FB and other sites grow. As I had commented to John, government surveillance of social networks is supposed to increase as part of a national security initiative. The Patriot Act was problematic and if social networking sites will be subject to the same scrutiny then First Amendment rights can and I believe will be violated.
Claire mentioned a social networking site for educational purposes. I may look into that myself. Still, I am not certain that I would choose social networking sites as top tier solutions for educational purposes.
Best,
Joe