Social+Networking

Social Networking Tools

=Sarah and Kelly=

Facebook Fan Page

My math page [] Central Geometry Club [] 1. **Create an operational definition for the tool. ** Facebook is a social networking site meant for keeping in touch with friends and family. Facebook pages can include pictures, quotes and a little about what is going on in people’s lives. Facebook also has businesses that advertise here where people can “like” their page and show support for their product or organization. Facebook allows you to create your own pages where people can “like” it and keep track of what is going on. **2. ****Does the technology promote student engagement or merely entertainment? **I believe the intent of facebook is for entertainment but can be used to inform students. Different fan pages have been created to promote student learning and keep them engaged in the process while they are at home. **3. ****Analyze whether this technology adds some demonstrable pedagogical value to traditional instruction. **Facebook can be used to post videos and provide feedback to students. Videos can be used to add to instruction. Students can communicate about the topics they are learning about and can in some ways teach each other through their discussions. **4. ****Assess the use of this particular technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge and not just information. **Facebook is more meant to give information but if used appropriately, it can also provide a basis to acquire knowledge. My co-workers fan page is a good example of providing an opportunity for acquiring knowledge. ( []) **5. ****Suggest some educational uses for this tool in the K-12 classroom. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">This tool can be used to inform students, give them additional resources to gain knowledge and skills, and provide an opportunity to catch up with material covered in class. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">6. ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Discuss the pluses and minuses of using this tool with students. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">One of the benefits of using facebook with students is that they are on anyway. When they check their friends’ statuses in their news feed, they will also see what is posted on their classroom fan page. On the downside, you might inadvertently find out information about your students that could be deemed inappropriate.



<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. //** Create an operational definition for the tool. **//<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Twiducate is a platform used by teachers to create an online community of their classroom. Teachers can post discussions, share ideas, post homework, create surveys for students and keep parents informed of daily projects. Students can collaborate with classmates, keep track of their deadlines and homework, improve their writing and punctuation and connect with their friends outside of school.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">2. ** //** Does the technology promote student engagement or merely entertainment? **//<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Twiducate is more educational than entertaining, as it is used to collaborate on assignments, manage homework and deadlines, and share ideas. Students may use this platform to brainstorm with classmates for group projects while conducting open discussions as well as using it as a time management tool to ensure that they stay on track to meet deadlines.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">3. ** **//Analyze whether this technology adds some demonstrable pedagogical value to traditional instruction//**. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Twiducate supports the relevancy of classroom collaboration, offering students and teachers a platform to work together inside AND outside the classroom, allowing students who may need to miss a class the opportunity to stay involved. It is especially valuable for students who need to be absent for an extended period of time.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">4. ** **// Assess the use of this particular technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge and not just information. //** Twiducate offers the options of adding links, bookmarking resources acquired by students and teachers as well as conducting online discussions with other students regarding the subject at hand. Research can be conducted online and shared, as well as surveys conducted amongst students. It includes a public forum where users can acquire information from others pertaining to their subject at hand.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">5. ** //** Suggest some educational uses for this tool in the K-12 classroom. **//<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Twiducate serves as a collaboration tool in and outside the classroom across the board. Students can discuss topics with each other and post questions to users outside the classroom. Brainstorming can be a powerful use for this tool between classmates, teachers, and even parents, should it warrant it.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">6. ** **// Discuss the pluses and minuses of using this tool with students. //**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">A great plus is that the teacher maintains the account, keeping their email private from students and parents, if desired. You can also set it up so that students cannot delete or edit comments, eliminating the chance of other students "messing" with comments posted. You can add as many classes as you like, which allows flexibility to collaborate across the student population. It's a great tool for students that have to be absent from the classroom for a day or an extended amount of time. One minus would be the inappropriate posting of students. As I've experienced in using Wikis, the maturity level of the students will dictate the success or failure of this educational tool. Students at the Middle School level tend to treat any tool as an entertainment vehicle where they can post anything that is on their mind. The plus side is that the teacher can control what gets posted, but I would recommend staying away from the public forum for students. It's a great tool for teachers to collaborate amongst other professionals, but if students use the public forum, it could turn into nothing more than a social forum with little educational value.