Facebook

The focus this week is on Facebook as a learning technology. We are investigating available applications and then creating one that will be applicable in our chosen field. This a quite a task considering there are countless applications already in existence!

Another question we are pondering is if we should be able to separate our professional and personal profiles on social networks. I know on blogs across the country, people love to quote the Constitution, especially the First Amendment. Of course, teachers, like all others, are protected by this special right, however, teachers are also held to a higher standard because of their proximity to children and their influence they have by way of their job description. If an individual desires to lead a certain lifestyle or publicly convey certain inflammatory sentiments, then they are probably not cut out for certain professions, such as education. In the same vain, these individuals are excellent candidates for other jobs.

Maybe the best advice is one of the golden rules: if you do not have something nice to say, do not say anything at all.

Week 2

The second week in Collaboration & Learning in a Virtual Environment has been very interesting. We have read extensively about different types of wikis and their use specifically in an educational environment.


All our reading is being put to good use this week as we are beginning to use some of these virtual tools within the context of this class. This blog, of course, is one tool that will provide students with actual hands on experience in creating and managing a blog. In addition, we are creating a wiki with an specific educational purpose and focus. On this wiki, we will create a learning activity. In addition, we will begin using Twitter as a tool for educational support and discussion, rather than merely a social interface.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to develop the wiki, post updates to this blog, and tweet about our experiences. Check back to see how I am coming along!