Social Media Video

Social networking is a fundamental shift in communication.

The majority of the networking sites we have been a part of so far in the course I have already been using; however, it seems like a whirlwind of activity and communication with so many different applications. Social networking is definitely not a fad and is going to be a part of our communication link. However, I do see a problem with so many web sites devoted to networking. Just as Facebook can bring the world together, the plethora of social networks can also isolate us. I see this form of communication collapsing on itself because it is just too big and far outreaching. If the population of Facebook makes it the third largest country in the world, why do we need so many other online sites? I really can’t keep track of all of the sites my friends and family are involved with nor do I have space on my cell for all of the applications. Anything that becomes too big and unsustainable will become extinct.
In my school district, we just started using online learning for our math courses. We have seen a significant increase in assessment scores for the online learning verses traditional teaching. Some attribute this to the format of online learning and that it is more interesting to students. However, from my own observations, I don’t think the online course is as challenging as the traditional course. So when Boyd reports that online learners are performing better than traditional learners, I’m a little skeptical of the data. In the online courses in my district, students don’t do nearly as much course work as the traditional class and they can take multiple retakes for exams. I suppose if multiple retakes were offered in the traditional course, students would be performing just as well. Moreover, students have complained to me that the Language Arts module of the online program is more difficult than the traditional course because of all of the reading involved. So for me the verdict is still out on which form of learning is optimal.
An intriguing thought I had while watching the podcast is how it is ever more important for education to change the way it teaches students to communicate. Again with the Facebook population, society is not longer communicating within its small community. Cultures, ideas, and beliefs and blended at an increasing rate, so much, that I don’t think people understand how to process the information. For that reasons, students need to have a substantial knowledge of what is happening outside of their neighborhoods because that is not where they just live anymore. Colleges and companies are relying more on social media to recruit and hire. This means students need to understand how to access and communicate in this new form.