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Journal #4

Journal #4

Role of social media on education

The role of social media has evolved a lot over the last decade in all aspects of our lives, such as school, work and personal lives. I completed my diploma in nursing at Langara College 12 years ago; at this stage social media such as twitter, facebook, and YouTube was not used in classroom setting in the nursing program. Some forms of media which was used in class for teaching was videos, flip charts, over head projectors, and face to face communication. Some educators were just getting familiar with the computer systems. Even though we were expected to use computers to complete our assignment, the expectation was to print out our assignments and hand them in to our instructors, rather than emailing them to our instructors.  Once I enrolled at VCC to complete my BSN and the PIDP, I was shocked to see the increase of social media used by teachers and students in class and out of classroom to complete projects and assignments.  When I went to my first class, I saw students using technology such as laptops, iphones and ipads to take notes. After my first class I rushed out to get a laptop, because I recognized it was the most efficient tool to use to take notes during class. Instructors are also using media such as YouTube clips to enhance learning and to keep students engaged during class, rather than just standing in front of class and giving a lecture. Power point slides are also used to get educational information across to students. In the ethics class which I took about a year, we had a group assignment of creating a blog, because I was too tech savvy at that point another classmate created the blog and I contributed by adding content into the blog. Now that I have created a blog on my own, I understand what a blog is and the use of it. An experience which reminds me of the increase of media use in education is the lab setting in nursing program; I was also stunned to see computer programmed manikins which are used to test student’s knowledge on the spot. Instructors program the manikins to have a particular health problem and students are to demonstrate their communication skills, assessment skills and knowledge to safely care for the manikin as if it were a real patient in the hospital. The lab settings have technologically advanced from the labs in which I practiced my skills on 12 years ago. Watching the video on “Nursing Education in second life” reminds me of the similarity between the manikins used in the lab setting in the nursing program at VCC and the virtual reality setting.

Social media such as twitter and facebook are used readily in schools to get information out to students, teachers and the general public, quickly and efficiently. It’s a great way of communicating with each other as a group rather than individually, which saves time for the instructors and students. Facebook and twitter are also great tools for group discussions, communication and interacting back and forth amongst each other. I personally use facebook and Skype to communicate with friends and family and now that I have an iphone I can use these tools more readily and instantly rather than going home to use them.

From taking the “enhanced media course”, I learned the importance of using a blog for my work to keep a record of changes of policy and procedures, any educational course and in services which I attended. While creating the blog, I got more comfortable using social media, such as YouTube, Facebook and twitter.

The pros of using social media for education are:

-easy for generation Y to use this tool, because they are already comfortable using social media on a daily basis-educators can use current news feeds, follow public figures to engage conversation and use them as teaching tools in classroo

-it can also enhance engagement of students who are shy to put hands up in class

-it’s a great communication tool that can be used for sending out reminders, posting homework and organizing projects and events

-students entering the workforce can also use social networking sites to network and find employment

-teaches student responsibility and hold them accountable if social media is used incorrectly

-students are also forced to learn issues around privacy policies.

Cons of using social media for education are:

-it’s seen as a distraction for students in class, it disrupts the learning process.

-cyber bullying is also seen as a negative impact of social media

-limiting face to face communication

-schools and teachers need to keep up to date with the changes

-inappropriate content sharing or exposure is seen as an issue as well

-financial burden on the parents to provide their child with the devices

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“Top Ten Tips to help keep kids safe online”

Parents/Guardians:

The new “cyberworld” in which we live impacts us all in many ways, but the greatest impact is perhaps on our children. They use technology and the internet as their primary means of communication – and it affects how they cope, adapt and learn. And while there are many great things about evolving technology, there has been a lot of discussion lately on the dangers of the internet particularly among children. Awareness, early intervention, and prevention are key. As parents of the “internet generation” it is our responsibility to keep our children safe – by educating ourselves and then teaching our children how to use the internet and technology responsibly. Just as we teach them how to cross a street, tie their shoes and say “please and thank you,” basic life lessons must also include teaching them the proper way to use internet-based technology such as computers, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, etc. Just as you would ask your child where they are going if they were going out to play or to visit friends, you need to start the conversation about internet safety by asking them where they are going and what they are doing online. At school we regularly engage students in discussions about responsible and ethical online use. Our codes of conduct and behavioral expectations also extend to the virtual world ofthe internet. We invite you to work with us in spreading the message to your children about staying safe while using the internet. On the back of this page are some tips that will help you create a safe internet experience for your family. We encourage you to discuss these tips as a family and create a set of rules together. Then tape this set of rules to the fridge or another central place in your home as areminder to everyone to use the internet appropriately and safely. In addition to keeping kids safe online, you can find supportive information on dealing with the dynamics of bullying in face to face situations at www.prevnet.ca.We look forward to working together with you to help keep our kids safe.

Burnaby School District’s

Safe & Caring Schools Team

Top Ten Tips To Help Keep Kids Safe Online

1. Set clear, developmentally appropriate, family rules about the internet for the safety and best interest of your child. Work together to create realistic options that work for the entire family. Children should not have 24/7 access to the internet – that includes smart phone text messaging too!

2. Keep computers, laptops and other devices in a common area of the house like the kitchen. Make yourself available when your child is online, and check in regularly. Younger children should have constant supervision.

3. Do not threaten to take away the use of your child’s internet-based devices but set reasonable consequences if/when your child breaks the rules. Be aware that children can easily find other ways to get online (i.e. friend’s home). Children often don’t tell adults about inappropriate online situations as they are worried that they will lose their device or online privileges.

4. Promote open communication about your child’s online activities. Show your child you are willing to listen even if you do not have all the answers.

5. Encourage your child to come to you if they accidentally come across an inappropriate site (pornographic, violent). DO NOT overreact with anger. Instead find out how they may have found this site and teach them how to safely find what they were looking for.

6. Be tech-savvy and stay informed about the changing technology your child is using. Make use of internet safety resources like a) www.mediasmarts.ca b)http://www.netsmartz.org c) http://www.commonsensemedia.org d) http://www.thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca

7. Model the online behaviour that you expect your child to follow. Be aware of what you are posting.

8. Know your child’s online friends. It is important to know who your child is speaking to online and ensure that they never meet anyone in person without you going with them.

9. Teach what you know. The internet is a new medium for traditional parenting lessons. Bullies, strangers and harsh content online does exist just like in the real world.

10. Explain to your child why they should not post personal information like photos, names or addresses. Teach them to think carefully about what they post because

once you push send it lives in “cyberspace” forever.

Thank you to School District 68 for providing the original template of Top Ten Tips.

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Journal #3

Journal  #3

Objective

The video on “The growing use of twitter by today’s educator” was short and brief, but it didn’t give me a lot of information as to why educators like or dislike twitter. He talks about a study he saw on the internet in regards to use of twitter by educators. He talks about the positive and negative use of twitter in classroom settings which is expressed by educators. He starts off by stating how the most popular post viewed is on, 100 ways of teaching with Twitter. Twitter has more than 100 million users; the popularity of twitter use is growing by 300,000 people per day. He states educators are still reluctant in trialing this new form of communicating because it needs to be used from an electronic device which educators still have a difficult time using.  He states according to the study, the popularity of twitter use in education is growing especially in colleges. In this particular study conducted in 2010 out of 1,372 educators over 35% state they are using twitter, which is up from 2009 when only 30.7% of educators used twitter. The educators, who use twitter, use it to mostly to communicate or share information with their peers. It is not used as a teaching tool as much; however the use of twitter in classroom setting is starting to increase by educators. From the study he discusses some of the benefits of using twitter: “it’s a good way to mass communicate to the people who are signed on twitter”, “twitter and face book helped with recruitment and helped with engaging students”. Some negative things noted in the study are “limits the ability to converse”. Some concerns are it “creates poor writing skills, has little education value, leaves no time for reflection, waste of time and distracts students from what they should be doing, texting creates poor grammar and spelling”. He brings up a great point by stating these are just tools to help with education, and these tools aren’t what are used for education, they only guide with the education. He also mentions educators should have an open mind when using these tools for education.

Reflection

              I personally don’t use twitter for my personal use, however I do see a growing us of twitter by many businesses. Lately I have noticed the twitter sign being advertised on television shows, commercials and other forms of social media. I do agree to some degree that it could be used for sending out messages to students and a way instructors can communicate with each other, however there are other ways instructors can do these tasks. I feel the video was too brief and I didn’t get too much information out of it, except for statistics on the use of twitter by educators in 2009/2010. It is 2 years later and by now the popularity of twitter use has grown. I would have gained more knowledge about the use of twitter, if the video elaborated on the keys points on how to teach with twitter.

Interpretive

I think twitter could be used more often in some sectors, only if everyone knew how to use it or they had the equipment or tools to use it. In the educational domain twitter would be difficult to use because there are many students who are not familiar or comfortable using this type of tool to communicate. Within the health care sector twitter would be great to use to share general information; however health care professional must be cognisant of confidentiality issues around the use of social media. Recently some of my colleagues were using face book to discuss client issues without using names in the text, however it was viewed as preaching confidentially. We are also advised not to use patients name only abbreviations when sending out emails, in fear the email could be sent in error to the wrong person, so using twitter would be very difficult to use in health care when discussing patient care.

Decision

I work for Fraser Health Authority and recently noted on the website they are using twitter to send messages to the public for flu shot clinics, youth clinic, immunization clinics, and other announcements to get information to the public, it’s amazing to see how social media is changing the way health care professionals are getting information to people. There is a positive force to use these forms of communication to get information across to people, because vast majority of the general public have access of some form of technology to use tools such as twitter or face book. I recently spoke with a public health clinical resource nurse and she had mentioned that nurse out in the community are getting trained on how to use twitter to send message in regards to upcoming events. I guess when I go back to work after my maternity leave, I will be also getting this training, however taking this media course has opened up my horizon on this form of social media already and it will be easier to understand the use of twitter.

 

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Journal #2

Journal #2

Objective

In Seth Priebatsch talk on building “The game layer on top of the world”, he talks about the differences in social layer and the new form of social media called “game layer”.The first difference between social layer and game layer he talks about how social layer was geared more towards networking or connecting with people on a social level, and the gaming network is where behaviors are influenced by other factors. Some individual behaviour influenced by the gaming layer can positive or negative.  According to Seth the social layer is fully developed, however people are still in the process of figuring out how to use the social layer such as face book and other forms of social networking. He states the “game layer” is already in the works; however it is not user practical at the current state. In his view the “gaming layer” currently is designed for credit card schemes and letting people know of coupons and other gimmicks. In the game layer, dynamics and other forces are used to influences behaviours. He also states by using the game layer our lives will be affected on a deeper level. In the game layer it will influence how we do things, what we will do when we are in the game layer. At the current state the game layer is still in the processing phase and while they are still working on it, they are trying to find out how they can be more open and readily available, unlike face book it is already created and if society isn’t happy with its outcomes, we can’t make changes to it. He talks about the four different dynamics in the game layer. The first is “appointment dynamic” where the consumer is advised to return at a designated time to complete a task in order to fulfill or success in the behavior. The example he uses in the first dynamic is “happy hour” at the bar, where the bar advertises the consumers to return to the bar at a certain time frame to receive discounted prize on drinks. Second example given is a computer game called “farm vielle”, where the gamer has to return to the computer at a certain time to obtain a healthy crop.  The third example given under this dynamic is a company called “Vitality”, produced a strategy to remind people to take medication on time. The second dynamic is “influencing dynamic” where people use status as a way of thinking they are more superior than others, one example he used to describe this is the grading system in school, he states instead of using the lettering system to give grades, people would be more motivated to get better marks if a different words were used to give students grades. Third is “progression dynamic”, this is where the consumers work harder to progress through the game layer, an example he used for to create loyalty for local business where customers are to come into same business over and over again to play games and eventually win prizes. Fourth layer is “communal discovery”, where everyone works together to get a certain reward, example he used was the Monopoly game at McDonalds. This is more a pyramid scheme where many people get together to resolve a problems and issues.

Reflection

While watching this video the first time, I had difficulty understanding the process of the gaming layer. I watch the video several time and still couldn’t make sense of it, I researched many different web site to understand the new social media of gaming process. Within the nursing field it would be difficult to use the gaming layer at work sites. In Seth’s talk he elaborated on how the gaming layer could be used for medication reminders for individuals, however this would not work for the older generation who are computer illiterate or have issue with memory loss. Currently there is a medication reminder machine used by seniors who are affected by memory issues, in their homes; however it doesn’t have a reward system to go with it. From Seth’s talk and other authors who talk about the gaming world, the “communal dynamic” would be great tool for health care professionals to use, to connect with one other to solve issues related to different illness.

Interpretation

I understand the importance of gaming dynamic in the business sector, educational areas and our personal lives, however there would be limited use of it in health care. He also states “by using the game layer our lives will be affected on a deeper level”, but he doesn’t elaborate on the benefits of gaming dynamics in our lives. I view the new gaming dynamic, time consuming for individuals who already are on time constrains. I don’t understand the value of playing games on the computer to gain status, however I acknowledge the benefits of gaining knowledge from other peoples input is very valuable when using the gaming dynamic.

Decision

As Seth mentions in his talk, that social media is already established, and there isn’t much we change about it, but with the new gaming layer many aspects of it still can be changed while it’s still in the progression phase. Over the next decade while the gaming dynamic is still “under construction” the gaming dynamic could be a tool used in the future to facilitate health care professionally learning needs. I could see using this tool in a classroom setting to generate grades. I am still open minded about the gaming layer, while it gets established, because it could be used more readily in the future to enhance learning, just like social media is used currently by health care professionals.

When I watch Seth’s vidoe on gaming, I was confused about the gaming dynamic, so i watched another youtube video so i can understand it, here is the link to that video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCfUFpZUk6s

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Technology and Trend Assignment

Technology and Trends in Education Assignment

Article #1

In Daniel Clarks article, “Social Media: Why this matters to everyone in education”, he starts off the article by defining the difference between social media and social networking. He states “social media is the platform/tool”, “social network is act of connecting on social media platform”. In this article he talks about the possible positive impact on education, if social media was used more readily in classroom setting. He states any change in the way people communicate is bound to have major implications on the educational system. Despite the increase use of social media by educators, the majority of the educational institutions still use traditional form of teaching, which is students attend class, listen to lectures, use printed books and take written exams. Clarks thinks all higher level of education could be delivered by social media, however it will take time and educational institutes need to take small steps in order to achieve this. He thinks using social media such as: learning with videos, peer to peer learning on Facebook, Twitter and student blogging in education will likely give the students more opportunity for “live collaboration and learning in small, on demand pieces”, rather than using the traditional form of learning. He elaborates on three phases that could have positive influence on education if social media were to be used. The first phase is that he thinks educators should be provided with support to use social media as part of their professional development, and to improve communication and sharing of knowledge. The second phase is how institutes should share educational content by using YouTube and iTunes, this promotes the institutes mission and their brand. The third phase is it will likely increase student participation by using Twitter and Blogging for discussions.

Article #2

In this article the author illustrates the pros and cons of social media, when it is used as a learning tool. One of the positive outcomes of using social media is it is easy for generation Y to use this tool, because they are already comfortable using social media on a daily basis. Using social media improves knowledge and skills as an educator. Educators can use current news feeds, follow public figures to engage conversation and use them as teaching tools in classrooms. It can also enhance engagement of students who are shy to put hands up in class, by letting these students to do online projects. It improves the educators to learn new skills and languages, which in turn can benefit the students. Social media is also a great communication tool that can be used for sending out reminders, posting homework and organizing projects and events. Students entering the workforce can also use social networking sites to network and find employment, they are able to post resume, research target companies, and connect with other job seeks and employers. The author states using social media teaches student responsibility and hold them accountable if social media is used incorrectly such as using “cyber bulling” they will have to face consequences, they are also forced to learn issues around privacy policies.

The first con of using social media is that it is seen as a distraction for students in class, it disrupts the learning process. Cyber bullying is also seen as a negative impact of social media, teachers need to be aware of issues related to it and intervene when signs of bullying are noted. The other disadvantage of using social media is the limiting face to face communication; the author states “using technological input can have a negative effect on social skills”. Because of the continual social media change, it is important for schools and teachers to keep up to date with the changes. Inappropriate content sharing or exposure is seen as an issue as well, it is crucial for teachers to protect children from inappropriate communication, images and videos and it’s also the teacher’s responsibility to monitor what they are sharing between themselves. The last con the author discusses is the issue of cost for parents, unless schools are able to supply each student with the technology, it is a financial burden on the parents to provide their child with the devices that are needed to keep current.

Web 2.0 Tool

A Web 2.0 tool I found interesting that could be used to facilitate learning and enhance educational is called Edublogs. Since 2005 it’s an educational tool and has hosted over million blogs. It provides custom built platforms for teachers, school districts and students. According to their website “Edublogs are host of blogging platform designed for education free from advertising”.  Edublogs help teacher and students get engage in their learning.  It’s transforming the way educators teach their students and help the students learn better. It keeps teacher, students and parent informed by providing information anytime, anywhere they need it. Edublogs engage students in learning by using social networking, interacting and openly sharing thoughts and their achievements; it also allows opportunity for the students to collaborate with people in the same classroom and with others all over the world. It can be used for group projects, e-portfolios, journals, school newsletters, class websites and other information that is relevant to the educational areas. It can be private or open to the public, because it only allows educational blogs to be posted; most schools are interested and support using this tool. You can edit or add to the edublog easily.  Teachers can create and manage as many blogs as they want. In the edublog system you can incorporate discussions forms, integrate videos, facebook and twitter to enhance learning for teachers and students. The support or resources educators use from the edublogs are created by teachers themselves. According to their website it’s quick, easy and safe to use edublogs as an educational tool.

References

http://edublogs.org/

Clark, D., “Social Media: Why it matters to everyone in education”.  http://hetl.org/2012/08/12/social-media-why-it-matters-to-everyone-in-education/. 12 August, 2012.

Osborne, Charlie.  “The pros and Cons of social media classrooms”.    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-classrooms/15132.  10 April, 2012.

Lederer, K., “Pros and Cons of social media in the classroom”. http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2012/01/19/Pros-and-Cons-of-Social-Media-in-the-Classroom.aspx?p=1. 19 January, 2012.

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Journal #1

Journal #1

Objective

Clay Shirky states that, “most media is global, social, ubiquitous and cheap.” In his video he takes us through the historical advancements of different forms of media to explain how we got to the current form of globalized social media. He highlighted the historical transformations from the printing press to two-way communication and finally to radio and television; however, he claims there was an asymmetry between the forms of communication. In other words, tools used in the past such as books, television, radio, and telephones were good for one on one conversations; however, they did not facilitate a group dialogue. He emphasizes that the advent of technology has fundamentally changed this, namely, the Internet has provided a forum for group dialogue on a global scale. Not only has the Internet been able to provide a space for this dialogue but it has also served to carry on other mediums such as online newspapers, magazines, and even online telephone calls. He extends his argument by stating that members of former audiences are not limited to simply being consumers but are in fact producers; this highlights a fundamental change in the way we view media. He illustrates the power of social media by referring to the issue of “voter suppression” in the American Election, the documentation of the Earthquake in China and the innovation used during the Obama Campaign.

By using live coverage in states where there was seen to be voter oppression, social media was able to foster an environment of accountability, whereby the officials were accountable to the American people. The documentation of the earthquake in China had a profound effect on the power of social media. Shirky highlights the fact that amateurs were able to take pictures and videos and broadcast the quake as it was happening within a matter of minutes.  In fact, Twitter announced the quake well before the American Geological Association. People who had connections to China were able to view what was happening in China regardless of their location. Contentious issues like local corruption in building schools were also broadcasted on a global scale, forcing Chinese officials to block access to the Internet as an avenue of social protest.  This reinforces Shirky’s point that the Internet does not provide a filter or boundaries. Shirky cites the Obama Campaign as ‘some of the most imaginative use of social media’, highlighting the conversations that people had on his website. One interesting thing to note is the contrast Shirky makes between the Chinese response to social media versus the American response in the Obama Campaign. When the Chinese officials shut down Twitter they actively suppressed social protest; whereas in the US, citizens who did not agree with the President’s vote were given a site to challenge his decision but were still included in the political process. Their negative comments were not deleted, their threads remained in tact, and in effect the site facilitated conversation regarding contentious social issues.

Reflection

Viewing this video gave me insight into how rapidly technology is advancing and the important role that social media is playing with respect to broadcasting global current events. Prior to social media becoming so common in our society, I was very skeptical and viewed the advancement of social media in a negative light; however, after viewing some videos that were disseminated as a result of social media, I recognize the utility of social media in a more positive light. My shift in attitude has been partially due to my recent switch to a Smartphone. Until 4 months ago, I was using a conventional cell phone, which basically only allowed me to call or text. I was not able to send pictures or use the Internet. My friends and family insisted I get an I phone, but I was hesitant because I am not technologically savvy. Nevertheless, I now made the switch to an I-Phone and I recognize the way technology fosters social interaction in a faster, blunt and globalized way. Now, on a click of a button I can access multiple mediums at once through my smart phone, I am able to email, talk on the phone, videoconference, access the Internet all from the palm of my hand. This phone allows me to “face-time” or chat with family and friends all across the globe in real time. I can appreciate Shirky’s comment that social media is becoming “global, social, ubiquitous and cheap”. The majority of my friends and family are also using this device, we can connect globally, and we all have the tools and capacity to produce videos, whether they are amateur home videos and place them in a global forum such as YouTube.

Interpretation

So far, we have seen the positive effects that technology and social media can have on raising awareness and providing a forum to have a group dialogue on specific issues. It is also necessary to note the way media has the power to influence people’s perceptions on certain issues. While having a forum where people can discuss current events and post videos of natural disasters is beneficial to stay connected with issues worldwide, it becomes problematic when we are presented with a biased portrayal of those events. I don’t agree with providing the state with the power to shut down social media; however, I believe there should be some form of regulation to ensure that people are not being misled or oppressed in the process. For example, FaceBook has been used to generate awareness for important issues on a global scale and has been cited to be a beneficial resources for many groups that live in oppressive political regimes; however, there are also negative elements associated with this medium such as “cyber bullying” and “under productivity”.

It is necessary to balance the interests of those who use social media as a tool to raise awareness of issues and use it as a forum to facilitate social dialogue and those who exploit its unfiltered, raw and accessible nature. The implications of posting something on these mediums such as Twitter, Facebook or YouTube are huge, anything has the potential to “go viral” and become a sensation; however, it is important for people to be conscientious of the power of social media.

 Decision

My goal for the future is to obtain a job as a clinical resource nurse. The main focus of this position is to teach newly hired nurses and current staff new tasks and policies as they change. I recognize the importance of incorporating social media as a teaching tool because it facilitates dialogue and discussion, which is crucial to the learning process. Personally, I learn better with a hands on approach rather than the traditional lecture model, so I think providing students with tools to engage in learning and engaging in dialogue will help those with a learning style similar to myself.