Social Networking for Professional Development Marian Thacher

How has the Web changed our professional relationships? Easy to create a variety of Web sites Anyone can have an online presence, post content, have conversations Watch what other people are doing, thinking, reading, talking about Your network now includes strangers! (and strangers are not so strange) 2

What is a Social Networking Site? A Web site that allows users to connect, communicate and/or share information with each other By Moonjazz, 3

Examples of Social Networking ListsLists Blogs Social Bookmarking Facebook, LinkedInFacebookLinkedIn Ning, WiggioNingWiggio From premiardeigo, 9/ 4

Your Personal Learning Network How do you learn new things? –? How did you learn new things 10 yrs ago? –? Any differences? 5

Your Personal Learning Network 2.5 billion searches per day on Google, in 40 languages 75% of the time people go to information directly from their search results, NOT from the home page of a site 6

Your Personal Learning Network Example of Stephen Downes –Saw references several years ago –Followed him on Twitter and Facebook –Received interesting links and references –Went to his blog and signed up for his newsletter –Posted on my blog about him and he responded –Now he is in my PLN, and he notes that he actually came up with the concept! 7

Your Personal Learning Network Information has always been a conversation, its just that most of us werent part of it, until the Internet. --Steve Hargadon 8

David Warlicks PLN 9

My PLN 10 Years ago Teacher Coordinator Presenter Mom Lesson Plans Reports Work- shops Articles Class Activities Parenting Students Supervisors Friends Colleagues Prof. Groups Journals Books Web Pages Conferences Classes Site Workshops 10

My PLN Now Web site Reports Work- shops Articles Blogs Grand- parenting Supervisors Friends Colleagues Prof. Groups Journals Books Web Pages Conferences Classes Site Workshops Administrator Presenter Blogger Grandma Blogs Social Networks Listservs Podcasts Aggregators Twitter Online Network 11

Viral Professional Development We learn on our own with support from each other Build a network! Share everything – tape it, blog it, tag it, post it Celebrate and get the word out up and down the food chain 12

Menu Lists Blogs Wikis Social Networking Social Bookmarking 13

LISTS 14

Lists, or Listservs PROs Easy to access Comes to you (push) Access to a wider community Get answers to your questions CONs Too much Not all of interest Public in ways you might not realize 15

Lists, or Listservs LINCS lists (ESL, Math, Tech, Assessment, etc.) Adult Numeracy Network National Literacy Advocacy CA Tech Mentor Network CA Distance Learning Start your own! 16

Lists, or Listservs When to create your own list –Large group, geographically dispersed –Need to share information and/or keep in touch –Can be one-way or discussion –To moderate, or not to moderate When NOT to create your own list –No one to be responsible for keeping it going –Can communicate a different way (shared doc, wiki) 17

BLOGS 18

Blogs What is a blog? Go to the WikiWiki 19

Blogs How are you using blogs? What do you want to learn? What are the strengths and weaknesses of blogging? 20

Blogs PROs Easy to create, fast Easy to add links, photos, video Can be used to create community (followers, commenters, shared editing) CONs Generally one author Used for personal opinions and reflection Some constraints on organization 21

Blogging for Prof. Dev. Provide information to staff –Jefferson Adult SchoolJefferson Create an online community –TIMAC BlogTIMAC –Newport Mesa BlogNewport Mesa Reflect on practice –Jan, MarianJanMarian 22

WIKIS 23

Wikis What is a wiki? Go to the wikiwiki /cogdog/ / 24

Wikis How are you using wikis? What do you want to learn? What are the strengths and weaknesses of wikis? 25

Wikis PROs Easy to create, fast Good for frequent updating Many can contribute Can be public or private Basic service is free CONs Sometimes a clunky interface Have to pay to get rid of ads Hard to make it graphically pleasing 26

Examples Adult Literacy Education WikiAdult Literacy Education California Budget CutsBudget Cuts mLearning wikimLearning Lots more examplesexamples 27

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES 28

Ning Tool for creating online communities No longer free, but affordable for education Many features – groups, blogs, discussions… 29

Ning Examples California ABE InitiativeABE CALPRO Multilevel ESL e-PLCMultilevel ESL Educators PLNPLN Classroom

Wiggio Similar to Ning, but free Easy to set up group Use to create an list 31

FACEBOOK 32

Facebook PROs Everybody is already here! Variety of page types – group, business page, personal Wide access for discussions and sharing CONs Privacy issues Confusing re types of pages Need to have a separate professional account 33

Facebook Examples CA Adult Schools on Facebook –TorranceTorrance –DowneyDowney –MilpitasMilpitas OTAN on FacebookOTAN From mattkeefe

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING 35

Bookmarking and Tagging How you save sites now Bookmarking Tagging Tag clouds Go to the wikiwiki (my Delicious account)(my diigo account) 36

Education: the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty. --Mark Twain

GO FORTH AND CONNECT!