Social Media Couldn't Be Bad Could It?

I was recently thinking about all this talk of use of Social Media in our PIDP3240 course. So far everything we've been told about using different forms of Social Media is positive.

This little Picture is a good interpretation on
how to keep yourself safe on facebook
http://www.fuzion.ie/index.cfm/page/cyberbullying

The truth is, Social Media can be DANGEROUS, if used incorrectly. I have decided to outline the possible dangers of using Social Media in classrooms ad propose possible solutions.

Bringing social media into a classroom can potentially open students up to Cyber Bullying. Cyber Bullying is any harmful action communicated through electronic media. Every year there are thousands of cases reported across the country, and this is not just limited to children. 

Cyber Bullying is NOT illegal. Most of the actions included in the act of bullying are though. They are usually considered harassment. I found some really interesting educational resources on the RCMP website. Including a game that outlines steps to take if you are a target of cyber bullying.

Play the game at the link below...
http://deal.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Cyberbullying_Interactive_Game.swf

Cyber bullying rarely takes place on faculty sanctioned pages, or on school property, but there are steps that teachers can take to minimize the chances of it occurring...

• Educate students of the existence of Cyber-Bullying
• Do not create Social Media that you do not have complete control of
• Put disclaimers on the Media of the consequences of posting anything inappropriate

The Canada Safety Council has a great list of things that teachers can do to curb cyber bullying. Take a look https://canadasafetycouncil.org/child-safety/cyber-bullying

Another common pitfall of using Social Media as a Teaching tool has nothing to do with the students, and everything to do with the teacher. There are a slew of ways that teachers can rack up potential law suits, copyright infringements, the list goes on and on.

But according to this article here: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/edtech-news-and-trends/understanding-the-potential-pitfalls-of-social-media/ there are ways of minimizing the risks.

Here are some examples:

• Follow your institution’s established guidelines or policies regarding use of social media
• State the purpose of the site on the site itself
• Educate students in the class regarding the site and its purpose
• Monitor the site carefully and consistently
• Become familiar with copyright laws as they apply to social media
• Always follow your institution’s policy regarding copyright
• Use links instead of posting full articles
• Educate your students regarding copyright laws and policies
• Obtain written permission from the institution before using its logo or mascot on your social media sites
• Use the institution’s logo or mascot only on sites that pertain to your official job description, such as a class facebook page—not on personal sites
• Identify opinions expressed on your sites as your own, making it clear that you are not speaking for the institution

Alternatively there is a 90 minute Audio Online Seminar on the issues of using Social media in the classroom called "How Administrators Can Avoid Social Media Landmines". To bad it is so expensive! If you purchase it, let me know and I will bring the popcorn!

http://www.facultyfocus.com/seminars/how-administrators-can-avoid-social-media-landmines/

Keen Observations

Because I'm not really in a teaching role in my work! I use this blog more as a sounding board for observations about the way that adults learn, and one thing that I find the most useful in learning to teach adults, is discovering how I learn. I am an adult after all, regardless of whether I feel like one all the time or not! I was reading an article for my PIDP3240 class today.

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

The article had a section discussing significant trends in learning. The trends are listed below...

•  Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields over the course of their lifetime.
•  Informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.
• Learning is a continual process, lasting for a lifetime. Learning and work related activities are no longer separate. In many situations, they are the same.
• Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.
• The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.
• Many of the processes previously handled by learning theories (especially in cognitive information processing) can now be off-loaded to, or supported by, technology.
• Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed). 

What I have learned, is I AM A TRENDSETTER! Who knew? I took control of my education at a very early age. I am currently working in a field that has nothing to do with my education. Formal education was not my cup of tea, so I discovered ways around it. I like to learn, I imagine myself in some sort of "school" for the rest if my life. I've always been a firm believer in "know-where". A lot of adult learners would fit into a category or two on this list, and as the rest of the article goes on to state, that current learning theories are going to have to change to accommodate a learner that is more aware of their learning style, and what they want out of their education.

These PIDP courses teach me more and more about myself every time I complete an assignment!

HELP! I'm New to the World of Blogging

Well, I've done it. I've created my very first blog. I've never really gotten into blogs. I'm really guilty of never even reading or paying attention to them. My best friend lives in England, and keeps a travel blog, and I don't even read that. It makes me feel like a terrible person. I am going to learn to blog, and I hope that I can gain an appreciation for blogs!

I've created this blog as part of an assignment for a course I am taking called "PIDP 3240 Media Enhanced Learning" with the school of Instructor education with Vancouver Community College. This is the fifth course I have taken in the program, and this class been the most challenging so far, and we're only 2 weeks in.

I have decided that the purpose of this blog is going to be to post resources that reflect different tools that can be used to teach adults in the real world, in an easy to follow interesting, and attention grabbing way.