Richardson provides many instances of how social networking
increases social learning (Richardson, 2010, pp. 63-69). However, in order
for this online networking strategy to work, it must strategically set up and
proactively run by a facilitator who inspires his or her students to
participate and logically inserts his or her own comments to keep all students
attached and active. Wikis and Blogs are both great interactive web tools that
encourage student participation. Wikis have proven themselves as a tool that
users take ownership of to ensure accuracy and participation. Facilitators can
start a wiki and then promote it as a classroom-learning tool where student
will get credit for active participation. With the high percentage of people
fixated on social networking pretty much all the while they are awake, we
cannot miss this a grand opportunity to get people to use it for learning. The
important factor for adolescents using social networking in a school
environment is to maintain a measure of control to ensure they students are
being productive and not participating in non-learning online activities.
References
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and
Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. (Third, Ed.) San Bernardino,
California, United States: Corwin.
Hi Brian,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right children now a days all they want to do is socialize and not use their technology as a learning tool. It is hard to tare children away from social networking to do school work, but as you stated in your blog facilitators can start a wiki and promote it as as classroom learning tool and they can get credit for doing it, I believe majority of your students would like to participate in doing it.