Social Media

Social media can be defined as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0.  It also allows for the creation and exchange of user-generated content.

There are six different types of social media:

• Collaborative projects like Wikipedia 
•  Blogs and microblogs like Blogger, Tumblr, or Twitter 
• Content communities like YouTube
• Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace
• Virtual game worlds like World of Warcraft
• Virtual social worlds like Second Life

Within the past ten years, social media has completely revolutionized the way that we live.  As a result, it affects the way that students learn. In a study conducted by the American Library Association in 2008, it was discovered that elementary, middle and high schools are beginning to treat social media tools as an essential part of preparing students for the 21st century. Some key findings included:

• 53% of elementary, middle and high schools use some sort of collaborative tools to aid in instruction.

• 50% of schools use intranet within their school community.

• More than 41% of schools use podcasts.

• 29% of schools use blogs as an instructional platform.

• Although not extensively used, tools like online instruction and social book marking are popular with almost 20% and more than 15% of schools using some form of these tools, respectively.

• Integrating social networking tools into instruction is widely accepted by public and private schools alike.

In ”Social Networking Goes to School,” Michelle Davis relays the following about social media. 

“Just a few years ago, social networking meant little more to educators than the headache of determining whether to penalize students for inappropriate activities captured on Facebook or MySpace. Now, teachers and students have a vast array of social-networking sites and tools--from Ning to VoiceThread and Second Life--to draw on for such serious uses as professional development and project collaboration. Educators who support using social networking for education say it has become so ubiquitous for students--who start using sites like Webkinz and Club Penguin when they are in elementary school--that it just makes sense to engage them this way. Though teachers and students are now pushing learning beyond the borders of the classroom through social networking, that move also comes with hurdles, including the fact that many schools still block access to such sites within their walls.”

Since most public schools in fact block most social media tools, how can educators incorporate them into their curriculum?  Is it necessary for educators to incorporate them?  

To be able to promote and teach 21st century skills, 

using social media tools are necessary for education!

 

Here are some examples of how educators incorporated them into their classrooms and media centers:

• Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano is the 21st-century-learning specialist at the private, K-8 Martin J. Gottlieb Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. In January 2009, Tolisano launched her "Around the World With 80 Schools" project. The goal was to introduce her school's students to peers in countries around the globe. She built a social-networking site using Ning for teachers from all countries who wanted to participate, eventually attracting 300 members. Tolisano set up a meeting between classes using Skype. Students prepared a list of questions like “What's the weather like there?” “How big is your town or city?” “What continent are you on?”   They then chatted with students in Canada, Finland, New Zealand, and Spain, among a long list of others. Tolisano’s students had different jobs to do during the call. One was a photographer, documenting the meet-and-greet. Others placed the location of the class they're talking with on a Google map. Other students served as Twitter "backchannelers," who sent out tweets as the live event was happening. Other classes added "fact checkers," who go back to make sure the information provided is accurate. "It creates a global awareness that there is a wider world out there and that we are not alone," Tolisano says. "They find it's just as easy to collaborate with a class in England as with the class next door.

• At New Milford High School in New Jersey, the school's official Facebook page keeps its 1,100 fans updated on sports events and academic achievements. In addition, students who traveled to Europe for a tour of Holocaust sites blogged daily about their experiences, and received comments from all over the world.  The principal, Eric C. Sheninger, uses Twitter as a way to communicate with parents but also a professional development tool for his teachers.

• Project K-Nect, a grant-funded program that uses smart phones as teaching tools in a handful of North Carolina school districts, allows students to instant-message their peers and teachers with questions on math homework at any time of the day or night. Students can also post questions and answers to school math blogs, where a student struggling with algebra could find several classmates willing to walk him or her through a problem or even post video of the best way to solve it.

• Twitter has become a hot spot for educators to find professional development and resources. One of the most popular types of educator events on Twitter are "EdChats".  The chats are one-hour conversations that take place every Tuesday around a particular topic. The page is the brainchild of several educators.

• Shelly Terrell, who is currently teaching in Germany at the German-American Institute, had her kindergartners create a book in VoiceThread with a kindergarten class in Turkey. The young students drew "pages" and then spoke into a microphone to record parts of the story.

Just Say Yes to Social Networking in Schools!

Because learning is a social construct, social networking absolutely should have a role within the school setting, especially in the school library media center.  The AASL standards for the 21^st Century Learner state that students should be able to “collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.”  Technology affords our students the opportunity to do just that; to collaborate not just within the classroom or school but truly on a global level through social networking.  Despite reluctance from some schools, acceptance of social networking as educational tools is increasing.  The ALA’s 2008 study on the level of acceptance of social networking sites in schools found “that elementary, middle and high schools are beginning to treat social networking tools as an essential part of preparing students for the 21st century.” 

One way that social networking can be used in the library media center is to motivate students to read.  Ray Doiron, founder of worldreaders.org, explains why using social networking tools in schools is essential and how they can be used to motivate students to read. Students, he says, “have embraced digital technologies as the essential tools of their learning and living leaving adults to either abandon their old goals of encouraging the lifelong reading habit or harnessing the energy and power of these new digital technologies to help them achieve these reading goals.”

The school where I teach recognizes the importance and power of using social networking.  While sites such as facebook and twitter are blocked, several other social networking sites are used.  These include Googledocs, WordPress, Destiny Quest’s New Social Features, Glogster, and Shelfari. 

Some of the digital technologies you may want to “harness” in your own school in order to promote reading are:

www.shelfari.com

·         With shelfari you can build a virtual bookshelf to display the books you have read, are reading, and want to read. 

·         The social component allows you to have “friends” and see what they are reading/ make suggestions to one another

·         Students can read and leave reviews on books.

·         Many of the books also include supplemental information such as glossaries of terms, character lists, etc

·         Teachers and librarians can download a widget of a bookshelf to feature certain books.  This widget is easy to customize, edit, and post to your webpage.  http://www.shelfari.com/widget?WidgetId=186641 

·         Shelfari also gives students an option to browse “more books like this” See picture below for books like The Hunger Games

www.goodreads.com (similar features to shelfari)

·         GoodReads is very similar to shelfari in that you can build a virtual bookshelf to display the books you have read, are reading, and want to read. 

·         The social component allows you to have “friends” and see what they are reading/ make suggestions to one another

·         Students can read and leave reviews on books.

·         There are lists of books that can be helpful to students and teachers alike:

Destiny Quest

·         Destiny Quest now has a social component.  Students can log-in in order to:

o   Create virtual shelves and keep track of what they are reading, what they have read, and what they want to read

o   All users can rate the books (star rating system) that they have read and write book reviews that other students can see

o   These reviews can include text, audio, or video resources!

o   Users can give star ratings to books

o   Users can create a network of “friends” within the school district.  Once they have done so they can make recommendations of books to each other and have online discussions

o   The big “bonus” of Destiny Quest is it is limited to students within the school or district so it is a much safer alternative to some of the other open social networking sites.

www.glogster.com

·         Glogster is another wonderful social networking tool. 

·         This video shows some of the highlights of Glogster and how excited students are to use it:

·         One of the teachers in my department is using it at my school as an alternative to book reports/ book reviews. 

·         Glogster also allows you to create a bookshelf.  However, instead of linking to books, each book takes you right to the student review.  The students publish online and their peers are able to view and review their work.  The student product then becomes not only a great source of information but a wonderful suggestion way for students to preview and select books to read.

·         An example of one of these student created book reviews is at this link.  Notice that each text box includes a scroll bar once you hover over it.  This student has included text, videos, pictures, and music in her review of The Lovely Bones.

As you can see, I think that social networking should definitely be included in the school library media center!  Among their many other uses, they can be used to promote reading while giving students experience with technology and the ever-important opportunity to collaborate.  Reading is a fundamental skill for sucess in school and life and social networking can go a long way towards getting students interested and motivated to read!

Web pages and the School Media Center

Web pages can be very useful for a school media center.  It is a good way for the Library Media Specialist to communicate with parents, community members, teachers, and school administration.  When creating your webpage, you must be aware of the do’s and don’ts of webpage design. 

Do: 

·         Keep your page structured

·         Focus on what is important:  Make your intent for the webpage the focus…

·         Choose the right color scheme

·         Make it easy to scan your pages

·         Keep it simple

·         Set your navigation up properly

·         Choose the right fonts and sizes

·         Make your page visually appealing

Don’t:

·         Just place boxes everywhere

·         Place irrelevant information on your page

·         Overdo the page with too many colors, fonts, and text sizes

·         Write long paragraphs on your page

·         Make your readers search for the intended content

·         Make everything on your page an image

The guidelines are simple…

  1) You should have good use of color.  An appropriate color scheme will contain 2 or 3 primary colors that blend well and create a proper mood or tone for your webpage. Don't overdo the color, as it can distract from the written content.

 2) Make your text easy to read.  The most easily read combination is black text on a white background, but many other color combinations are acceptable if the contrast is within an appropriate range. Use fonts that are easy to read and are found on most of today's computer systems. Keep font size for paragraph text between 10 and 12 points.

3) Use meaningful graphics.  Your graphics are important because they lend visual variety and appeal to an otherwise boring page of text. However, don't over-use them, and make sure that add meaning or context to your written content. Don’t overload any one page with more than 3 or 4 images.

4) Keep it simple and allow for adequate white space. Uncluttered layouts allow viewers to focus on your message. Don't overload your site with overly complex design, animation, or other effects just to impress your viewers.

My school system requires that all teachers and media specialists create and maintain a webpage.  I feel that creating and maintaining a school webpage is a very important tool for staying in touch with families.  It’s a great communication tool.  Parents can visit my webpage to learn about current events, upcoming events, and to find useful links.  After visiting many web pages from other schools, I plan to add my Policies and Procedures, a vision statement, and links to author websites to make my page more useful to parents and teachers. My media center webpage can be found at:  http://www.gcbe.org/education/staff/staff.php?sectiondetailid=34076&

The American Library Association has best websites for teaching and learning.  Click here to view these websites:  http://www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25

I found that each webpage link has strengths and weaknesses.  How do you think these compare to the do’s and don’ts guidelines?

The Way to Wiki

Wikis can be a wonderful tool for education.  But like any tool, how effective the use is depends on the one using the tool.  A few ways that wikis can be used effectively in the media center are as a means of internal communication, research guides, and collaboration between educators and students.

Currently, my school uses a shared drive on the network for internal communication.  This seems like a good idea but having to search for one document in the hundreds of folders on the shared drive is unnecessarily time consuming and frustrating.  In addition to this, the shared drive is only available within schools/locations in the county.  This could be solved by using a wiki to store information.  Information on a wiki would be easily available anywhere, the content would be searchable by key word (with results easily sortable by relevance or in chronological order), and multiple users could add to the wiki and update information often which would make it a more useful and relevant resource than forgotten folders on the shared drive.  Hosting this type of wiki could make the library the center of the school community in terms of information.  The media specialist could also upload departmental meeting minutes, ideas for subject area collaborative unit plans, and feature new resources on this wiki. 

Another effective way to use a wiki in the media center is as a subject centered research guide for students.  Wikis are a great place to link a variety of research resources and can easily be divided up by subject area or even by specific research projects.  Unlike a static list of links on a webpage, teachers and students could easily add to the wiki as they found more relevant resources during the research process which would benefit others.  When using tracking software, librarians can determine which pages are being used most often and use this information to determine what type of content to add to the wiki or even to the physical media center collection in the future.

Truly, wikis are best used not only as a compilation of documents for internal communication or a repository of links for research, but rather for collaboration and as a means of encouraging students to become active participants in creating understanding.  Wikis can be used by teachers to share resources (articles, videos, podcasts, lesson plans, etc.) so that they can work together to develop units that are richer, more engaging, and better meet student needs.  Students can use wikis to share work, receive peer feedback, link to current events, work with students from their class, on different teams within the school, or even from different schools.  Wikis provide an opportunity for students to see how information “works together and brings ideas into clarity” as Ruth Reynard says, in this excellent article on encouraging students to be active participants in creating understanding with wikis:

http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/10/07/More-Challenges-with-Wikis-4-Ways-To-Move-Students-from-Passive-to-Active.aspx?Page=1

There are some downsides to using wikis.  Depending on how the permissions are set up, users can modify the content of a wiki which means some information may be changed.   This means wikis must be monitored frequently to check for things like consistently accurate information (some students, and even teachers may bring information to the table that is not correct), appropriate content and language, etc.  Monitoring for these types of changes and restoring documents that have been incorrectly modified could be very time consuming.  To address this, media specialists can set limits on who is able to modify the content but limiting those able to contribute also severely limits the collaborative value of the wiki.

Some best practices when using wikis include first questioning whether or not a wiki is needed at all (e.g. Will a wiki help communication within the school, to the community, etc?  & Is there a need for collaborative space?).  These types of questions will help you determine if a wiki is needed or not.  If you determine a wiki is needed, you should decide what service to use.  www.wikimatrix.org will help you make that decision.  I went through the simple process and came up with 23 different wikis that would work for my individual purpose (although I definitely prefer wikispaces to the others recommended for me). 

Next, you should look to other wikis for ideas on how to best organize your wiki and what content to include.  I have linked some good and bad examples below.

An example of a media center wikis with good content and appealing graphics is:

http://tlsmediacenter.wikispaces.com/

An example of a media center wiki with a busy/overwhelming structure is:

http://olycenter.wikispaces.com/

An example of a media center wiki with no pages and just a collection of links:

http://pssmedia.wikispaces.com/

As you can see, wikis that are set up to address a need, are effectively organized/structured, are monitored and updated frequently, and that provide space/opportunity for collaboration can be a wonderful tool in the media center!

Wonderful World of Wikis

Wikis are simply a tool for collaboration that allows users to edit or alter material using just a web browser.  Because there is no special password or mechanism for using a wiki, the possibilities for collaboration are endless.  With a  click of the “edit” button on a wiki, users can upload links, movie clips, music, or pose questions, answers, and ideas etc.   Wikis allow for anyone and everyone to contribute to the topic at hand.

Because the School Library Media Center is the central location in a school for research and gathering information, it makes complete sense for library media centers to use wikis.  With a wiki, SLMC can gather resources for teachers like video clips, activities, articles, or websites.  A SLMC wiki can provide a place for commonly used links or articles, a place to gather information and sources by topic (like “Holocaust sites”) for students to use.  Some school wikis have links to standardized test practice, test taking tips, or

The dangers of wikis are also the strength…anyone can edit the material.  This can be a major drawback, but as long as there is a reliable manager (like the library media specialist or classroom teacher), this should not hinder one from creating and using wikis.  All web content should be monitored by a responsible person.

In my research, I found some incredible ideas for using wikis in the classroom:

• -       Science projects- students could pose questions, tips, answers, or discuss possible science fair projects.  This would also be a great place for student collaboration on projects.
• -       Literature Circles- students could read the same book and post questions or responses to questions and thoughts.
• -       Social Studies Research- how many students have to research the Civil War?  Such an important and vast topic has been covered time and time again.  A wiki would be a great place to flesh out all of the redundancy and create a space full of valued, relative sites.  Why google anymore?  Wikis can allow everyone to hone in on the important information and contribute to a meaningful research experience.
• -       Collaboration between teachers- when planning unit plans or lesson plans, teachers could use wikis as a gathering place for resources.
• -       Student portfolios- wikis could serve as an electronic portfolio for students to keep track of all work and projects.  This would also be an ideal place for peer review and peer editing activities.
• -       Online textbook collaboration- my high school is moving from a four by four block schedule next year to a traditional seven period day.  The cost for textbooks will be great.  By using a wiki to gather textbook information or online textbooks, the cost could be considerably less. 

One thing to keep in mind about a wiki is to not let the wiki become a digital dumping ground.  While it is an excellent resource for gathering links, websites, articles, and other materials, it is important to keep the content moving.  One way to do this would be to post weekly questions or topics that require feedback.  Having a weekly question to answer or current event to find on a wiki would keep the information new and exciting for students.  It certainly beats reading chapters and answer questions from a textbook!

Now that you know about wikis, you can get started creating your very own for your students or school.  One free source, with no ads, is http://www.wetpaint.com/.  

So, do you know what a podcast is?  Apple defines podcasts as audio or video files that are automatically delivered over a network and then played back on any Mac, PC, or Ipod. Podcasts have only existed for a few years.  However, the amount of people listening or watching increases by at least 15% every month. 

So now that we know what a podcast is, how would one make a podcast?  According to Kristin Fontichairo, a media specialist in Birmingham, Michigan, all that one needs is a microphone, a computer, and inexpensive or free computer software to create your very own podcast.  The software will help you to layer your podcast with narration, background music, and sound effects but to also publish your work.  There are several programs such as Audacity, Camastia Studio, Quick Time 7 Pro, or iLife 08.

Now, have you ever listened to a podcast?  Personally, I thoroughly enjoy being able to listen or in some cases watch a podcast.  There are so many subjects that one can listen to!  Have you ever wanted to be in a classroom at Harvard and learn about statistics?  Or, how about listening to a tour of the British Museum? Well, there are podcasts for each.  Overall there are 16 different groupings ranging from TV/Film to the Government that have been created to entice listeners about a broad range of subjects. Educators have begun to use this instrument to not only teach students about a particular subject but also teach them to vital 21st Century skills.  Some of the best examples of this are:

• Coulee Kids’ Podcasts from the students at Longfellow Middle School in La Crosse, WI http://www.sdlax.net/longfellow/sc/ck/index.htm

• Countryside 4th Grade Podcasts of books they wrote (Mt. Laurel, NJ) http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=81739845

• Grandview Library Storytelling podcasts embedded in Grandview Elementary’s (Monsey, NY) library blog http://www.grandviewlibrary.org/StoryTelling.aspx

• Mills Murfee Podcasts from Mills Murfee Elementary School in Lubbock, TX http://millsmurfee.blogspot.com/

• Pioneer Podcasts Patton Elementary School’s (Austin, TX) monthly podcast http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=092  

• Radio WillowWeb from the students at Willowdale Elementary School in Omaha, NE http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/

• Speaking of History podcasts by 8th grade teacher Eric Langhorst, South Valley Junior High School in Liberty, MO http://www.speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/

• Top of the Fold podcasts embedded in Grandview Elementary School’s (Monsey, NY) news site http://www.grandviewlibrary.org/Fold/GrandviewNews.aspx

Podcasting

Podcasting is simply a means of distributing audio and video content over the Internet.  It is a way for information to be more widely available. These podcasts can be downloaded to student and teacher portable devices such as MP3 players. For the school library, podcasting can be an effective means of communication with students, teachers, parents, and administration.   
Podcasts can be a very tool for libraries for a number of reasons.  The use of podcasting can enhance the media informational and instructional collection.  One reason podcasting can be so valuable to the school library is because many podcasting resources can be found for free online.  This is important especially in the economic times our schools are facing. Some examples of types of free podcasts include audio-book collections, current events, interviews, professional resources, instructional resources for science, languages, and literature, academic lectures, and music collections.  When a school media specialist is considering which types of podcasts to include in the media collection, many considerations should be made.  Learner needs and outcomes should be considered, content quality should be explored to make sure the information is credible with cited sources, and design quality needs to be evaluated for structure and length.  In addition, school library media specialists can create podcasts to promote the library (tours, tutorials, story time hours, news, announcements for teachers, students, and parents), to support information literacy instruction, and to enhance professional development through book discussions, interviews with authors, and presentations for teacher instruction. 
Once students see how valuable these podcasts are, they can begin using podcasts as well for their delivering their assignments.  It is very important for teachers and library media specialists to teach students how to podcasts as a form of communication.  Student podcasts can be used for school news, reports and research, reading their own stories that they have written, and for discussing book reports for stories they have listened to and read.
Podcasting is one more way that the school library media specialist can deliver content and aid students in delivering their assignments using technology integration.  This is just one more tool that is essential for reaching students living in a technological world.