Live Blog (6): ADVIS Technology Workshop

A social networking site can become a form of personal portfolio. "Friending" can become a PLN (personal learning network). If we connect with others who have like-minded interests (educationally), we therefore promote a greater network which we can access: collegial relationships. Leveraging the power gained from colleague-friending.

Social networks need good forums in order to be educationally productive: ning allows for this piece, for example. Power of video is also important: ability to upload visuals that could work in a portfolio fashion. In other words, whereas use of video/visuals in social networking kind of scared us (think: inappropriate visuals), the same concept can be used positively in an educational networking space.

Groups hold much promise: think professional development, learning teams, and self-created communities. See PBL - Better with Practice by Jane Krauss.

Social networking + LMS (learning management systems) + live collaboration

Steve thinks the aforementioned will merge and become the "larger framework".

Benefits to educational/social networking:

1. allows authentic, peer-driven learning and professional development
2. provides emotional support and reduces isolation
3. allows visibility of practice within a community
4. facilitates networked and community learning
5. fosters creativity and perspective
6. provides for engagement, participation, and action
7. re-energizes personal learning (t-shirt idea: "personal cognitive revolution")
8. increases global connectivity (see globaleducationconference.com)
9. draws us into humanity's "great conversations"

Another benefit: education reform can be seen now as an internal, rather than external, reform

Lessons that Steve has learned with these networks:

• it's all about the users (valued activities: listening, testing, experimenting, looking for input, etc)
• facilitate and support the process, not the outcome (build a park, not a cafeteria). Don't mandate! Listen! Engagement trumps content!
• be authentic (act like a friend, and people respond)
• start with educators and administrators first (don't implement it in the classroom if you haven't used it with faculty)
• support and promote the early adopters (more important than you are!)
• allow for failure (including your own, as you look for real needs)
• build your culture and recognize the importance of interpersonal ("soft") skills