INF506 Assessment item 1 - first entry

INF506 Assessment item 1 - Journal entry 

a) Social networking is online, interactive communication via the Internet and mobile phones that brings together people regardless of location to share information in various formats (e.g. messaging, video, voice chat, photos, email, posting comments on blogs, forums or discussion groups) and facilitates collaboration (e.g. through wikis, Google Docs). Many of these online communities enable individuals to build personal networks that connect them to others with similar interests and activities.


b) The social networking technologies already used prior to starting this session:

• Facebook - personal
• Delicious - work and study
• Twitter - used for connecting with other information professionals.
• Blog (Blogger) - ETL401 and later used for other MEdTL subjects and for connecting with other students and school library professionals.
• Skype - started for ETL504 collaborative project and now used for personal communications
• Wiki (PB Works) - initially used for ETL501 and now I use it to create my online subject pathfinders at school.
• Google Docs - initially used for ETL504 collaborative project and now I use it for communicating with my job-share colleague (who is also doing this subject).
• Ning - used for connecting with other information professionals starting with Joyce Valenza's TL Ning.

c) This subject appears so interesting as I already am familiar with many social networking sites. Despite this experience I am hoping to learn how to best use and incorporate these social media and Web 2.0 technologies into my role as a secondary school teacher librarian. It is the application of these tools in education and integrating them into the curriculum is what I want most to get out of this subject.
I currently work in a school where administration and staff knowledge of Web 2.0 is poor, so hopefully I will come across strategies for introducing these technologies to staff and encouraging their integration (firstly by breaking through the barriers of change) into the curriculum. In addition I also hope to learn about ways of demonsrating how social media and Web 2.0 can enhance the curriculum and improve student learning in order to create 21st Century learners.