Social Bookmarking

Here's my social bookmarking site: www.diigo.com/user/spd529

Digital Storybook

This digital story is a version of a classic fairytale. My class illustrated it. Each student took a part of the story. One of my previous students helped me write it and narrate it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

My Website

Here's my class website!

Post for Session 4

Social networking and social bookmarking are new tools used in many classrooms to engage students in ways that interest them most. Students are already spending large amounts of time on social networking sites and numbers are increasing. Sarah Kessler (2010) states “Between 2004 and 2009, the amount of time that kids between the ages of 2 and 11 spent online increased by 63%, according to a Nielson study.” Many teachers are discovering if they can bring social networking into the classroom students are more motivated to participate actively. One way teachers can use social networking is to create a classroom blog. Sites like Edublogs and Kidblogs are free and safe. Teachers can create classroom blogs where students can write and comment only on each other’s blogs. Teachers can post questions, or have students create questions, about what they are reading for or in class. Teachers can push students to use higher level thinking by teaching students how to evaluate and analyze readings and other students’ posts. Students writing will carry more meaning for them because they are not writing just to hand in to a teacher, but rather writing for a real audience (Kessler, 2010).

Another powerful tool available for teachers to use is social bookmarking. One way this can be used is for students to collaborate in a research projects. As students do research on the web, they save bookmarks to a public website and “tag” them with keywords for others to use as well (“7 Things”, n.d.). Students can collaborate together sharing information. I think this is an important turn for the education world. The act of doing work individually for the teacher does not help students outside of school. Karl Meinhardt argues “When you get in the business world, all of [a] sudden it’s like, ‘OK, work with this group of people.’ It’s collaborative immediately. And we come unprepared to collaborate on projects” (as cited in Kessler, 2010). Social bookmarking gives students an engaging and interactive way to collaborate on the web.

Both social networking and social bookmarking tools are important for teachers to begin working with. Both social networking and social bookmarking are excellent ways for teachers to meet the ISTE’s NETS for students. These tools specifically are excellent ways to give students the ability to communicate and collaborate, as well as think critically, solve problems, and make decisions. Although these tools can make an important impact on students learning, Fran Smith (2007) makes an excellent point: “Administrators have to facilitate change. A lone teacher can do it, but it's hard to sustain. Administrators have to decide this is valued for the whole school community, and they have to give teachers time and freedom to learn, experiment, and play. Lots of teachers are doing it on their own, but it can be exhausting. That's classroom 2.0, not school 2.0” In order to make these tools most effective administrators need to get on board.

Just as a teacher keeps her personal life separate from her classroom life, a teacher’s personal online presence should never intersect with her professional online presence. I think it is important not to friend students, parents, or administrators. A teacher’s Facebook should be a personal way to connect with friends. Since teachers are expected to follow a different code of ethics than people of other jobs, a teacher needs to be thoughtful about what is said publicly (Bohon, 2011). There are many other ways to connect with students outside of personal social networking sites, like Facebook. I feel the risk of mixing your personal life with your teaching life outweigh any benefits. Teachers have lost their job and been suspended for making comments that did not reflect well on their profession.

References:
7 Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking. (n.d.) Educase Learning Initiative. Retrieved from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf
Bohon, Dave. (2011). Florida Teacher Suspended for Facebook Comment Opposing “Gay” Marriage. New American. Retrieved from: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/8690-florida-teacher-suspended-for-facebook-comment-opposing-gay-marriage
Kessler, Sarah. (2010). The Case for Social Media in School. Mashable: Social Media. Retrieved from: http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school
Smith, Fran. (2007). Why teachers should embrace networking, and how they can use it to improve education. Edutopia. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networking-technology

My Animoto Video of Adventures

New Literacies

New literacies are theories formed to recognize the internet as a literacy issue, not just technology. New literacies are the ways to read and write using technology. This theory of new literacies is not one set of standards or rules. It is constantly evolving, just as technology is constantly changing and evolving (Leu). Although new literacies are defined in different ways , key points include:

• teaching students how to search for, question, and evaluate information (Leu)



• understanding how they are a part of global community (Leu, O'Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry, & Everett-Capocado, 2009)



• looking at information from multiple perspectives (Leu et al., 2009)



• communication skills in multiple formats (Zawilinski & Leu)

The International Society for Technology in Education (2007) has identified the skills students need to use new literacies effectively. These skills include:

• demonstrate creativity and innovation



• communicate and collaborate



• conduct research and use information



• think critically, solve problems, and make decisions



• use technology effectively and productively

When thinking about how to develop these skills in my classroom, I want to first think about lesson that I have already been doing and am familiar with, then think about how to integrate technology into them, as advised by the video Integration of New Literacies (Leu). My class publishes a piece of writing each month. We start the year writing our published pieces and as they practice their typing skills during Computer class, we later type and print our published pieces. Instead of printing, I would love to have my students type and post their writing to a class website where students can easily access, read, and comment on each other's work. Perhaps writing partners could help edit each other's pieces through a program like Google Docs or a Wiki. This would not only give students experience with technology, but more importantly improve their writing.

First Post

Hi, I'm Shannon Dunn. This blog is for EDUC 584. I'm a second grade reading teacher at Amistad Academy in New Haven.