Social Networking: Does the Benefit Outweigh the Cost?

Social networking can provide so many different opportunities to students as well as teachers. Written works can be shared; commentary can be provided by peers and teachers. Social networking can build a sense of community and prevent the feelings of isolation, especially when considered in a distance learning classroom. For instance, I think we could all agree that this blog provides us with a sense of community and inclusion.

Social networking provides social learning and this opens up new possibilities because interaction can happen with people all over the world. There are no boundaries pertaining to age, location, nationality, and ethnicity. The fact that there are no restrictions may lead to dangers to those who don’t protect themselves. For instance, you may not know the true identity of the person you are communicating with. By providing personal information on the Internet, a person is providing an unlocked entrance into their lives that anyone can enter. Children and teens may not be mindful of this because they lack the knowledge to foresee the repercussions that may occur.

That is why it is a good idea for parents to take the time to communicate with their children about the dangers of social networking. I think it is also wise for schools to implement this into their technology curriculum. The government has already gotten involved by implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act which gives children the right to privacy by protecting their identity. The government’s concern with technology pertaining to student involvement should not stop there.

I think with the proper instruction and prevention, social networking benefits outweigh the costs.

If We Didn’t Have the Schools We Have Today, Would We Create the Schools We Have Today?

“Pilots in the early stages of flight crashed a lot of planes, but they also discovered the principles of flight. They came together in learning communities where they could share their experiences and knowledge about what works and what does not work. They developed and evolved principles that make modern flight possible today, including the space program. That kind of learning opportunity is available to us in our schools today.”
We learn from our mistakes as well as others’ mistakes. That’s why having learning communities is so important, because we can voice our concerns and learn about mistakes and solutions already made.


“But if a teacher from the 1800s walked into a classroom today, could he or she substitute as a teacher?”
I love this question because it really makes a person think about the lack of change between schools of today and the schools of the past. Now I say schools because there are some classrooms where progress is displayed, but I feel that is created through the teacher. I think individual teachers are taking it upon themselves to make the progress through using projectors in the classroom, certain websites and software to enhance education, and smartboards among other technologies. I know the school provides this for the teachers and may even have workshops on certain technologies to provide knowledge for the educator, but it is up to the individual teacher to put in the thought and time to implement these technologies when warranted.


The article talked about a teachers’ job will no longer be to teach – but to help others learn, as they model learning through collaboration to solve problems and achieve goals they have in common. I think in order to do this; a teacher needs to be humble. They will have to accept the fact that they don’t know everything and that their students will know things they don’t. Educators will have to acknowledge that the roles will be reversed in certain cases and the students will be the teachers and teachers will be the students. I think that veteran teachers may have a problem with this only because they are so set in their ways of just dictating all their knowledge while the students sit passively and contribute a minimum to the class. Now I know some veteran teachers who are open to change and also willing to put in the time and effort to make a collaborative learning environment, so I do think it can be done.


This article also spoke about education rapidly moving toward new learning environments that will have no teachers or students—just learners with different levels and areas of expertise collaboratively constructing new knowledge.
If this change is made, knowledge can be transmitted exponentially; thereby making significant changes in our world, not just the world of education.

School Web Pages

I think it is important for schools to build a web page. It’s also pertinent for a school to update their websites periodically. It helps parents of current students stay up to date on school information. Providing a school website also offers parents of future students a way to find out about the school. For instance, if a family is moving to a new location they would be able to check the school out briefly by going online and seeing what the school has to offer. Teacher names and credentials, mission statements, and various programs offered through the school are just a few of the things that I think should be included on a school’s web page.

Web Page Building

So I’ve wanted to create a classroom website for a very long time. I love the effortlessness in using the scholastic website. This site also provides recommendations for books and software that can be useful for parents in helping their children academically. I also like the fact that it is password restricted so only those that you permit to have the password can see this website. Scholastic also helps you to embed videos on your classroom website. The only thing I don’t like about this website builder is that you can not change the font in any way. I would like to be able to the change size and color of the font to make it more personal and to accentuate various things on the website.

Creating a Web Page

As soon as I started teaching, I began searching online for various help within the classroom. To me, taking courses was helpful in a technical way, but to be comfortable in the classroom I wanted to learn about other teachers’ experiences as well as their classroom setup. It helped me get different ideas for the classroom and eased the transition for me from being a student to becoming a teacher. I think other teachers’ class web pages are not only functional for the parents and students, but are also purposeful for other teachers.

So when I discovered these classroom websites and how creative and useful they were, I wanted to be apart of that. I had wanted to create a webpage for a very long time and I was unaware that there were websites that offered this function for free. After being shown the scholastic website by Dr. Luongo, I became very excited about all the possibilities of creating a website. Here are some classroom websites that I have found interesting and helpful:

http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/index.html

http://www.megjohn.info/meg.html#class

http://fc.msad47.org/~jbrown/

Web-Based Educational Resources

There are so many online resources that can be very useful for teachers as well as for parents and students. There are websites that can provide teachers with valuable lesson plans or creative ideas for lessons. Websites that offer worksheets are useful especially for a teacher who has limited classroom material. Being introduced to some websites from Dr. Luongo, I am using some of these in the classroom now. I use Starfall.com during centers time. It is very functional website that offers my first grade students time to read on their own as well as various songs to help them remember vowels and chunking rules in reading and spelling. Knowledgebox.com is also an informative website for the students in all subject areas. I am planning on using this website with my students soon. Many websites out there can complement a teacher’s educational plan for their students; it is just a matter of finding what suits your purposes.

Kidspiration

The school where I work has Kidspiration and Inspiration on the student and teacher computers and until now I have never actually sat down and viewed either one. Since I am a first grade teacher I chose to evaluate Kidspiration and I have to say that I love it! There are so many useful tools to use in this software that can really get the students motivated and learning. There are various math activities that can really help the student visualize certain concepts. I think the writing activities available are a real change of pace to the ordinary pencil and paper tools. There are also different science and social studies lessons that can take the students a step further in the curriculum. One of the things I really love about Kidspiration is the audio, which is great for preliterate students. I wish I had a data projector or more computers in the classroom in order to have whole group lessons using Kidspiration, but I am definitely going to start to use this program as best I can in the classroom.