I found the
article Navigating Social Networks as
Learning Tools by Will Richardson to be very informative. This article
talks about the importance of educators and students making the shift to
network literacy. It explains what a huge undertaking this is due to the fact
that you need to be able to navigate people, information, and networks alike. The
main message I took away from this reading was the necessity for the teacher to
become comfortable utilizing technology to publish and build networks in order
to effectively model these learning connections for their students. With all of
the information available on the web it has become increasing important to understand
how to build social networks that consist of participants who are trustworthy
and provide viable feedback. After all, there is much to be learned from others
who have viewpoints that are different than our own.
The section
that discussed making technology a part of your daily life really hit home with
me. When the author stated, “we need to experience a steep “unlearning curve”
that allows us to replace old habits of practice with newer, more interactive
and collaborative ones” I felt a connection. For so long I have become
sedentary, a creature of habit so to speak, not embracing social media and its
potential as an effective
educational tool. I am slowly
coming to understand the importance and power of learning transparently, sharing
information and building social networks which include trustworthy
participants. When I say “slowly coming to understand” I simply mean that I see
the relevance of social networks in the realm of education however it may take
a bit of time and effort on my part to replace my old habits with newer, more
efficient ones. In the past I viewed social media strictly as a tool to connect
with family and friends with very little regard to its educational networking
capabilities.
I would like to
further explore ways to create a balance between network identity and privacy.
Formerly, I have been reluctant to jump on the social media train because of
the uncertainty of how the information you share will be used. I have come to realize
that in order to be an effective educator it is essential for me to set aside
my biases about social networking and embrace its potential as an effective
networking tool in our ever changing world.
