Post #5 - Social Media

In looking into Social Media the biggest problem that I had was forming a definition of what it was. In looking at ten sights I think I got eleven definitions. Everybody seems to have a slightly different take on just what Social Media is all about. Business sees it as a marketing tool, teachers see it as a new avenue for instruction, and students see it as a communication device. The only common thread in all these definitions seems to be that the media is somehow interactive. As Daniel Nations said in a recent article, “Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too” (Nations, 2009). The rest of his article and definition can be found here: http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/social-media.htm .

Although a little vague I think it sums it up pretty well. No longer do I have to go to a site and just read. I can now participate in almost every aspect. I can read the news and then post my comments or I can go to a store site and read customer reviews to help me decide if the item is the best choice for me. I can also go to Twitter and find news, opinion and commentary that is often faster and more up to date than that on television. I think that it is important to define social media otherwise how are you going to know what you are teaching?

So how can Social Media be used in teaching? The answer to that is in the definition itself. As Brian Solis, a writer and Social Media networking guru stated, “Social Media is, at its most basic sense, a shift in how people discover, read, and share news and information and content. It's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologue, one to many, into dialog, many to many (Solis, 2007). The rest of his article can be found here: http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/06/29/the-definition-of-social-media .

Using Social Media as a teaching tool means that we can change how our students discover and react to information. The students can then respond to this information using other Social Media and receive feedback and opinion from others. These are all critical 21^st Century Skills that I have discussed at length. It also suggests a major shift in how teaching is going to occur. It seems to me that due to Social Media the idea of a teacher centered classroom of lectures, notes and tests is giving way to a student centered space. Here the student discovers the information on his or her own interprets it and posts it. Other students comment, give feedback and discuss the information and interpretation. The teacher in all this is a guide or mentoring figure how helps create a constructivist and collaborative learning environment. Here is a video of Clay Shirky discussing this idea in more global terms.

http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html

Shirky,C (2009 June) Clay Shirky: How social media can make history. Posted to http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html

A final point should be made here. One other aspect that needs to be taught is global ethics and responsibility. In working collaboratively you may not be working face-to-face or even with people in your own state or country. This can sometimes lead to miscommunication, using inappropriate language or cultural insensitivity. These issues need to be taught and understood before any learner begins to use any form of Social Media. I previously posted about young people posting videos of fights and vandalism on social sites. If students understood the ethics of such a posting and what it communicates to others there could be a decrease in such abuses. Here is Howard Gardner discussing this issue.

http://video.baamboo.com/watch/2/video/496387

Gardner, H (2009 August 13) Education, Social Media, and Ethics: Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Posted to http://video.baamboo.com/watch/2/video/496387

References

Nations, D. (2009). What is social media. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from About.com Web Site: http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/social-media.htm

Solis, B. (2007, June 29). The definition of social media. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Web Pro News Web Site: http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/06/29/the-definition-of-social-media