6-Social+Media


 * Unit 6: The Read/Write Web and Social Media**

This unit extends the topic of student learning to consider ways in which web 2.0 resources, also commonly called the "read/write web" can be used as a wonderful new tool in the educational process.

Both units 5 and 6 have a lot to do with student learning. In unit 5, we explored a few more tools and reviewed some of the literature on the pros and cons of technology and learning. Unit 6 will extend a look at student learning to consider ways in which web 2.0 resources, also commonly called the "read/write web" can be used as a wonderful new tool in the educational process. There are two NETS-A standards most relevant to this unit, NETS-A.2 Digital-Age Learning Culture and NETS-A.5 Digital Citizenship.


 * Readings**


 * MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media & Learning Site**

A few years ago, the MacArthur Foundation initiated a series of grants to study Digital Media and Learning. This initiative “aims to determine how digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to education and other social institutions that must meet the needs of this and future generations.”

Use this link to get to the website and browse, starting with the video called “The 21st Century Learner” found on the right menu bar of video links. http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.946881/k.B85/Domestic_Grantmaking__Digital_Media__Learning.htm
 * Project New Media Literacies**

There are many exciting projects to learn about. Here is a blog post about one MacArthur funded project which has continued its work by establishing an “early adopters” program with New Hampshire teachers over several months’ time in 2009 and 2010. @http://newmedialiteracies.org/blog/2010/06/transmedia-blog-1.php

Edutopia's Digital Generation Project provides context to the stories of the Digital Generation so that educators and parents can understand how kids learn, communicate, and socialize in very different ways than any previous generation. @http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation


 * A Catalog of Web 2.0 Tools**

There are many popular web 2.0 tools being used by educators today. This web2.0 site is continually adding more. If you hear of a new tool that someone used, but you forget the web address or the exact name of the tool, you can use the Go2Web20 site to find it. Notice you can search by most popular or by the specific type of tool you are looking for. Take a few minutes to browse the site and get familiar with how many different tools have been developed.

Here are a few of my favorite tools:

Diigo - is a great way to save and annotate bookmarks of your favorite websites. Library Thing - can help you track all your books and your wish list of books. Wordle - a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends. Google Tools - Google isn't just a search engine. Google has many tools useful in education. For example, you can build a free site using Google Sites (example), set up a free email account using Gmail and store all your emails there, use Google Groups for a group to share files, pages, and discussions (example), and use iGoogle for a homepage (example) where you collect all sorts of resources you use every day. There are so many things you can do with Google tools. Take some time to explore them over the next few weeks! Yugma and DimDim are two different free web conferencing tools. We've already used VoiceThread, Wallwisher, and Wikispaces.

There are so many tools that after awhile, you realize you can't possibly know all of them. Find what's best for you. Learn from others about what works for them.


 * Assignment**

Do you use any social media tools? Do you have concerns about them? Write a 2-3 page reflection paper as you think about these questions. Reflect on your knowledge of social media tools and their potential to change teaching and leading. Submit your paper (a) as an email attachment to your instructor OR (b) as a post with document attachment to our class wiki at http://psu-ce5700-winter2011.wikispaces.com/


 * Discussion**

One reason for using Grown Up Digital for this course is the amount of issues raised in the book about how different the Net Generation really is. The fact that they are immersed in a digital culture does change their learning needs tremendously. View and comment on this VoiceThread summary of concepts within Grown Up Digital - Part One @http://voicethread.com/share/1618647/. Be sure to also finish reading Part Two of the book before beginning the next unit.