In films made in India (my native country) a common plot involves sworn enemies, out for each other's blood, finding out (in a strange twist) that they were brothers separated at birth. I equate this with the relationship between education and social networking site. These two, formerly considered the anti-theses of each another, now constitute a fashionable and much-lauded combination.
Social networking sites in my personal life
Social networking sites have only had personal relevance in my life. I have mainly used social networks to track the lives of friends and family. Facebook has me keep up with the ongoing events in the lives of my friends and family. Photos and facebook statuses help me find out what each of my friends is up to. I have used it to communicate with my friends and family. In place of traditional communication devices (such as cell phones or even email), I had increasingly begun to use social networking applications (such as Facebook or Skype) to communicate with friends and family.
Social networking sites in my professional workflow
As of now, not use social networking sites for professional purposes.Many of my students do send me friend requests (which I accept after the semester finishes) but my interactions with my students have been informal and personal in nature. Seldom have I used Facebook for work-related purposes (except to make the occasional class announcement). But that is going to change now, as I have come to realize the potential of these social networks in making connections, engaging students, and stimulating discussion.
PLNs (Personal Learning Networks) play a central part in one's growth as a teacher, and conventional PLNs which include family, colleagues, libraries, journals etc. are insufficient to maintain the standards of knowledge that are required in the market today. To be a step ahead of one's competition, a teacher needs to use social networking sites to expand his/her PLN. Social networking sites can enable a teacher to have access to the most advanced and up-to-date knowledge in the field. Social networking sites can also help us get in touch with individual and organizations that can provide material and knowledge-based resources in the future.
Connecting with peers
Social networking sites can help me connect with my peers, and provide me with a platform to discuss teaching and its related concerns. I believe the quality of one's teaching is dependent on reflection and thought just as much as it is based on study and preparation. Discussing teaching with other teachers not only gives me tips and strategies to become an effective teacher, it also exposes me to different perspectives about teaching: what, how, and why one should teach.
The role social networking sites in my students' lives
Social networking sites plays a pivotal role in the life of my students (college students). In the words of Marshall Mcluhan, social networking sites extend the senses of college students. To them, it is not just a sustained interest, it is a central aspect of their sensorial experience and sense of being. Thus, as instructors, we ought to understand and exploit the potential of these social networking websites. One area where the social networking sites have a particular value and use is in encouragement of discussion and the asking of questions on these websites. I have now come to believe that every course must have an online discussion forum where students are encouraged to discuss what they have learnt, and ask questions.
Social networking sites in my personal life
Social networking sites have only had personal relevance in my life. I have mainly used social networks to track the lives of friends and family. Facebook has me keep up with the ongoing events in the lives of my friends and family. Photos and facebook statuses help me find out what each of my friends is up to. I have used it to communicate with my friends and family. In place of traditional communication devices (such as cell phones or even email), I had increasingly begun to use social networking applications (such as Facebook or Skype) to communicate with friends and family.
Social networking sites in my professional workflow
As of now, not use social networking sites for professional purposes.Many of my students do send me friend requests (which I accept after the semester finishes) but my interactions with my students have been informal and personal in nature. Seldom have I used Facebook for work-related purposes (except to make the occasional class announcement). But that is going to change now, as I have come to realize the potential of these social networks in making connections, engaging students, and stimulating discussion.
PLNs (Personal Learning Networks) play a central part in one's growth as a teacher, and conventional PLNs which include family, colleagues, libraries, journals etc. are insufficient to maintain the standards of knowledge that are required in the market today. To be a step ahead of one's competition, a teacher needs to use social networking sites to expand his/her PLN. Social networking sites can enable a teacher to have access to the most advanced and up-to-date knowledge in the field. Social networking sites can also help us get in touch with individual and organizations that can provide material and knowledge-based resources in the future.
Connecting with peers
Social networking sites can help me connect with my peers, and provide me with a platform to discuss teaching and its related concerns. I believe the quality of one's teaching is dependent on reflection and thought just as much as it is based on study and preparation. Discussing teaching with other teachers not only gives me tips and strategies to become an effective teacher, it also exposes me to different perspectives about teaching: what, how, and why one should teach.
The role social networking sites in my students' lives
Social networking sites plays a pivotal role in the life of my students (college students). In the words of Marshall Mcluhan, social networking sites extend the senses of college students. To them, it is not just a sustained interest, it is a central aspect of their sensorial experience and sense of being. Thus, as instructors, we ought to understand and exploit the potential of these social networking websites. One area where the social networking sites have a particular value and use is in encouragement of discussion and the asking of questions on these websites. I have now come to believe that every course must have an online discussion forum where students are encouraged to discuss what they have learnt, and ask questions.
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