Module 9

For a long time I have heard the words social networking being thrown around. Up until now I have not really understood what that has meant. I understood that they were sites where people could interact and converse about common interests, however I did not understand the extent to which they could communicate. Having read through the suggested links, I now understand that social networking is more than just talking to people. It is about developing friendships, communities, cultural tolerance, understanding and learning. With the variety of social networking sites available people are able to just jump online and off they go. Social networking sites allow individuals to communicate common interests but they also allow individuals to find out information about a common interest.

Social networking sites are not just used personally by individuals, they are also used professionally and by businesses and companies. The professional use of social networking sites means that individuals can now develop relationships and communities with other professionals outside their current employment. I know that I have benefited greatly from the many educational networks that have been developed and used by teachers and educators around the world. These networks have guided me to useful resources, tools, websites and advice. I feel that by using these sites I can gain knowledge and experience from other educational professionals as well as helping others. These networks are give and take. Each individual will benefit differently depending on what they are looking for.

As a teacher I feel that scootle is a valuable social networking site to be a part of because it provides valuable resources and activities that can be used in class, not only for science but for all subjects and ages. This networking site allows you to teach students of all abilities because there are activities for all learning and ability types.

Twitter is very public and open to everyone. It makes it hard to monitor who is following what you say, but it also allows you to follow who ever you like. It also has the function of delivering automatic updates, so when someone you know updates what they wish to say you can receive notification.

The idea of social networking sites appears to have a very useful purpose for gathering information to improve my professional portfolio, however I feel that it may not be overly useful within the classroom. While there are codes that can allow you to restrict the flow of conversation, there are still many avenue that allow this work to be viewed publicly. Also some students may take advantage of the network and not use it appropriately.

I think that social networking is an avenue of the web2.0 course that I would like to explore further and in more detail, particularly in how I can use this resource in the classroom because today's student's are more dependent on technology and technology related learning.