From the Desk of Mr Daniel

The Age of New Media

Each new technology creates a new environment and opportunity. With the evolution of the Internet from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, this has revolutionize the way we use the internet and change the way we learn. Since the beginning of the wide-spread usage of the internet until 2004, the internet was used for reading ad receiving content for research. After 2004, the Internet evolved into Web 2.0, with many social media websites and tools that allow the Internet users to create, contribute and collaborate contents online. Web 2.0 have also create a culture of openness, participation and contribution. The wisdom of the group now replace the expert.

This resulted in the explosion of information, the world getting smaller and social learning moving to the center stage. Learning has changed. Hence, education will need to change to keep up. Customization, Creation and Collaboration is now the new educational model. With the change, students now need teachers more than ever as teachers now becomes the facilitators of information.


The New Concept of Learning

Social media engages and motivates students to learn. It also creates many possibilities for teaching and learning. Learning is no passively constrained to a classroom or based on learning objects. Rather, learning is centered around the interest of a learner and is owned by the learner. (Personalized Learning) Students learn by involving themselves to the tasks. (Immersive Learning) Using a Computer, Laptop or Mobile Phones as a device, learning occurs through connection with other learners based on conversation and interaction. (Connected Learning)

For the first time, we are preparing students for a future we cannot fully describe. (David Warlick) Eric Hoffer mentioned that in times of rapid change, learners inherited Earth while the learned find themselves equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. Educators are encouraged not to limit the students to their own mode of learning as they are born in another era.

To start off, educators can:

1. Learn about Web 2.0
   Understand the concept of Web 2.0 and how it can impact learning.
    
2. Lurk / Participate
   Try out new social media tools. Lurk around to familiarize yourself before participating.
    
3. Experiment with different Web 2.0 tools
   Not all social media tools are suitable in all teaching and learning environment. Review the learning needs and the objective carefully before deciding of the tools can help you achieve the learning needs and objectives.
    
4. Make education a Public Discussion
   As learning is now immersive and connected, educators are encouraged to create a learning community in the class where knowledge emerge from conversations.
     
5. Teach Content Production
    Introduced various tools to the students and get them to create content through engaging activities.
    
6. Guidance on Assessing the Right Content
   Offer guidance and advise on selecting the appropriate contents and how to deal with unappropriated contents.

References:

Social learning (social pedagogy). (2010, March 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, July 18, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_learning_(social_pedagogy)

Open & Collaborative Learning. (2010, April). Slideshare. Retrieved 21:30, July 18, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/courosa/open-collaborative-learning

Collaborative and Co-operative Learning. (2010, June). Slideshare. Retrieved 21:30, July 18, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/timbuckteeth/collaborative-and-cooperative-learning-the-how-and-the-why

Trends and Impacts of E-Learning 2.0. (2010, March). Slideshare. Retrieved 21:30, July 18, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/trends-and-impacts-of-elearning-20

E-Learning 2.0 - Why the New Tools. (2010, March). Slideshare. Retrieved 21:30, July 18, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/elearning-20-why-the-new-tools

Introduction

Social media websites like Facebook and micro-blogging services like Twitter have become apart of our daily online activities which some of us cannot do without. It gives us an opportunity to communicate with our friends and contacts either real-time or offline. These Web 2.0 tools have offered another alternative to communication and entertainment.

Most, in fact, all students, have a Facebook account. Since they are spending a bulk of their online time on Facebook, it makes sense to leverage on these Web 2.0 tools in teaching and learning. As the main purpose of Facebook and Twitter is to allow its users to communicate, it can be used in education by:

• Understanding your students, their thoughts and ideas.
• Release announcements related to lessons.
• Giving instructions.
• Connect with Alumni
• School marketing / corporate communications needs.

Using Facebook & Twitter for Educational Activities

Here are two ways Facebook can be use in education:

1. Student-Teacher connection – accounts of students and teachers can be connected together when they add each other as friends. They will be able to see each other’s wall posting. This is useful for disseminating announcements or instructions.
    
   By connecting to each other, teachers will be able to have an alternative communication channel with students. Students will also see another side of teachers and be able to understand each other better.
    
2. Facebook Groups or Facebook Pages – Create a online study group using Facebook Groups to build a community of students for a particular subject/CCA/Interest.
   
   Facebook Pages can be used as a public profile to connect to all students & alumni to generate awareness.
   
   More information: Facebook Page vs Group
    

Twitter can be use in education in the following ways:

1. Student-Teacher connection – accounts of students and teachers can be connected together when they follow each other’s accounts. They will be able to see each others’ tweets on their Twitter timeline. This is useful for disseminating announcements or instructions.
    
   Like Facebook, Twitter can be use as an alternative communication channel between teachers and students.
    
2. Educational Twitter accounts - Twitter accounts like Dictionary.com, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Channel News Asia offers information feeds on various topics like languages, geography, history and current affairs. These will be useful for students in their independent learning.  
    
3. Subject specific discussion – Twitter accounts can be created for a specific subject for student. Such twitter account can be used by students to post their notes, findings and discussion when they are outside school on a fieldtrip. As students are restricted to a character limitation of 140 – 250 characters, they have to be precise and concise. This is perfect for mobile learning and independent learning activities.

Information posted will be quickly visible to your students once they login to their Facebook or Twitter account. As contents posted on these social media website are able to be shared by the users, your announcements and instructions can be easily reached out to your students when they re-shared or re-tweet the information to their peers.

Leveraging on the power of Facebook and Twitter

Both Facebook and Twitter have their strengths.

1. You can combine their usage together for convenience and ease of use – You only need to tweet to Twitter and the post can be reflected on Facebook Wall. See this post for more information. (Includes Blogger integration)
     
2. You can use Seesmic Desktop client to manage your Facebook and multiple Twitter accounts.
   
   

Conclusion

By embracing Facebook and Twitter to teaching and learning, we have an alternative mode of communication with our students. However, it is to note that Facebook and Twitter can be distracting and may rob student’s social, interpersonal and interaction skills. Hence, it can be use as one of the tools in education but not a sole learning platform.

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This post is created using Windows Live Writer

Saw this website from a friend's link [开心网] in Facebook. Wonder if this is the China version of Facebook?

Edited (31 Mar 2009):

Yes, this is the China's version of Facebook. In fact, China has a number of facebook-alike social websites! Attack of the facebook clones!!!