Slide 1

Social networking, collaboration, and professional learning networks What is social networking?What is social networking?

http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking What is social networking?According to some, it is the biggest shift since the industrial revolution!http://goo.gl/4j1c

Some facts and figuresBy the end of 2008, social networking had overtaken email in terms of worldwide reach.According to Nielsen Online, 66.8% of Internet users across the globe accessed member communities last year, compared to 65.1% for email.In 2008, users spent 63% more time on member communities than they did in the previous year.

Digital Buzz Stats for 2012The Social Media Skinny 2012Some facts and figuresA third of adults post at least once a week to social sites such as Facebook and Twitter.A quarter of adults publish a blog and upload video/audiothey created.Nearly 60% maintain a profile on a social networking site.70% read blogs, tweets and watch video.

Stats 2012An averageFacebookuser has130 friendsand likes80 pages56%of consumer say that they are more likely recommend a brand after becoming a fanEach week on Facebook more than3.5 billionpiecesof contentare shared

I Infographic 2012

Twitter 2012

Some more facts and figuresFrom 2007-2008, Facebooksaw growth of 566% in time spent on it by users worldwide.Facebooks fastest growth demographic is older users the social network tacked on 12.4 million people between ages 35-49.Women are reported to make up 64% of Facebooks users.Facebook is the top social network in all countries except Germany, Brazil, and Japan.Elements of social networking sitesProfileFriend listCommunication via personal profilesOther published material (quizzes, blogs)Writing of the self performing identitiesActive learning processSkill development online

Many sites whose purpose was not originally to be a SNS site (such as YouTube or Flickr) are now incorporating elements of social networking. Do these characteristics make you more or less likely to use them in a class task or activity?Using SNSs in FL classesGeneral considerationsProject ideasCentered around profilesCentered around mediaCentered around themesAdvantages to SNSStudentsAre participants and active citizensDevelop their own voiceLearn to build trustCreate, manage and distribute contentLearn to collaborate and work as a teamAre encouraged to explore and discoverLearn about self-representation Are already there!Risks of SNSInstructor lack of knowledge, confidenceSNS not viewed as educationally viableSome sites are blocked in some institutionsRisks associated with wwwRequires out of class workPUBLIC audience, need to be careful giving away informationStudents dont want to mix personal and educational tools

DiscussionDo you think our millennial students are prepared to use their favorite SNS in classes? Why or why not? How can we help them?

Weigh the risks and benefits of incorporating language specific SNS into FL classes do you think its worth it? How?

ExplorationFirst, lets examine what social networking sites are out there

ExplorationGo to Wikipedia.org and search for list of social networking websites.

ExplorationOr go to http://go2web20.net and do a search for social+networking

ExplorationHow many sites are listed?Investigate at least 5 different sites. Note:Who the target community isHow many members it has (if known)What features the site offersThe attractiveness of the interfaceOther features worth commentingNote: In wikipedia, when you click on a link from the list, it will take you to the Wikipedia page about that social networking site. From there, you can explore the site directly using the link on the top right-hand side of the page.Putting it in practiceWorking with a partner:Select a social networking site to focus on (next slide)Come up with a list of its advantages and disadvantages to classroom integrationBrainstorm possible task ideas for using this site in the following language class settings:A beginning language classAn AP class

Be prepared to share your ideas with us!Some sites like Ning that you can use with your classeswww.ning.com (can apply for K-16 free)www.spruz.comwww.grou.pswww.webs.com http://mixxt.com www.classroom20.comwww.whyville.netwww.imbee.com< Kid-friendly!

22Your PLNWhat is a PLN?Personal learning networkProfessional learning networkThe group of people you follow, interact with, post with, etc. on a regular basis about either personal or professional issuesShare news, resources, links, ideas, thoughts, reactions, etc.Check out this blog post: http://goo.gl/KViQ