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Using Social Networking to Transform Your Class Into a Learning Community

Using Social Networking to Transform Your Class Into a Learning Community. John Ricard TRETC 2012. Objectives. What is a social network? What are some strategies to help apply a social network to my course? What are some effective procedures that will help adopt a social network efficiently?.

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Using Social Networking to Transform Your Class Into a Learning Community

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  1. Using Social Networking to Transform Your Class Into a Learning Community John Ricard TRETC 2012

  2. Objectives • What is a social network? • What are some strategies to help apply a social network to my course? • What are some effective procedures that will help adopt a social network efficiently?

  3. Introduction • Currently teaching: • Latin • AP Art History • AP European History • At Somerset Academy in Pembroke Pines, FL • Created Romae.org – Classical Languages and Studies network • Created RicardAcademy.info – network and ancillary tool for “non-Latin” subjects • Contributor on AFireKindled.com – focuses on integrating education with technology • BA in Art History • MA in Classics

  4. Overview • Not a lecture • An interactive workshop • Learn by doing! • Agere non modoputare! • Applies to any subject

  5. Have Questions? Comments? Join and Post Them! • AFireKindled.com/Community • Look for confirmation email when registering • Join Group: Educational Technology Roundtable • Post in Forum: Using Social Networking to Transform Your Class into a Learning Community

  6. What is a Social Network? Redefining Learning

  7. What is a Social Network? • Social networking is a way to connect and share ideas • Offers ways to collect, curate, and collaborate with content • Some examples are Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn

  8. Why Social Networking? • Wanted to find a way to use the technologies my students are familiar with • Further engage students • Make courses relevant • Create an easy, fun environment for learning • Easy access to assignments, information • Accountability

  9. Problems with Social Networking • Stresses “social” behaviors • Facebook, Google+ • Too many distractions • Blurs line between personal/academic • Blocked on most campuses • Twitter • Limited to 140 characters • Can only collect content online (limited curationand collaboration) • Blocked on most campuses

  10. Problems With social networking • Need to adapt social networks into “learning communities” • The technology provides a template for both teachers and students to follow • Teachers = technology immigrants • Students = technology natives

  11. What do you mean “Learning community”? • Focuses on a particular subject • Allows collaboration within a community of learners • Social networks are for “socializing” • Learning communities are geared towards learning

  12. 5 C’s of Educational Technology • Every Learning Community should have these capabilities • Collect– resources that collect content • Curate – resources that maintain and update content; also reinforce concepts learned in class • Create – resources that help create content • Collaborate – resources that allow collaboration using content • Communicate – resources that help communicate about content

  13. Case Studies How I adapted social networking technology

  14. Solution: Build a Social Network • Romae.org/Amicitia • Social network for Romae.org • Allows members to interact and form learning communities

  15. Solution: Build a Social Network • RicardAcademy.info • Solution for my “non-Latin” courses

  16. Features Overview: activity • Activity – shows site-wide activity • Great way to see who has been active • Helpful for students to find others and collaborate, review together

  17. Features Overview: Groups • Groups – allows for different courses to have their own spaces, discussions, etc. • Allows students to form networks with one another • May foster friendly competition (year to year!)

  18. Features Overview: Members • Members – easily find other members on the network • Find “study-buddies”, partners for collaborative assignments, group projects

  19. Features Overview: Sites • Sites – easily find your course’s main site • Assignment updates, announcements, resources for projects, etc. • Creates accountability for BOTH students and teachers

  20. Features: Groups • Groups – where the main “action” happens

  21. Features: Groups • Group Features: Documents • Post exclusive documents for group members to share

  22. Features: Groups • Group Features: Forum • Used for discussions between group members

  23. Features: Groups • Group Features: Docs • Creates a collaborative workspace for group members

  24. Features: Groups • Group Features: Members • Form connections between various group members • Follow their activity on the network

  25. Features: Groups • Group Features: Send Invites • Allows members of a group to invite other members to join the group

  26. Features: Groups • Group Features: Send Email • Allows members to send communication outside the network

  27. Why Social Networking? • Using a social network I can: • Collect new content for my course • Curate and update content myself or via my students • Create new content, assignments, projects • Collaborate with my students in a thriving learning community • Communicate with others about assignment dates, project obstacles, etc. • Gives me all solutions in one place • Accessible from anywhere on “the cloud”

  28. Strategiesand tips What’s next?

  29. Strategies and Tips • Form a learning community that is interactive! • Be consistent! • Keep them coming back! • Monitor student activity • E.g. use @username to directly “ping” a student – like Twitter • Upload and share important documents with your class • Syllabus, rubrics, study guides • Create events and announcements routinely • Field trips, test dates, etc. • Create discussions that are open-ended, enriching, interesting! • Try “non-traditional” activities • MinecraftRomae

  30. Strategies and Tips • Keep assessments simple • Grade based on completion • Encourage students to use the resource to help them learn, not make it the basis of their learning • When students create accounts, have a procedure to be able to easily identify their usernames

  31. Strategies and Tips • I built my sites using open source software • Wordpress extended with Buddypress • Building your own site takes time, patience, and experience • Lots of work and “frontloading” • Find a solution that will make your life easier and that is scalable

  32. Solutions How?

  33. Implementation • Technology is supposed to make life EASIER • Find ONE resource and use it to make your life EASIER • Use it to make your class more exciting, more relevant! • Lots of FREE options!

  34. Collect

  35. Curate

  36. Create

  37. Collaborate

  38. Communicate

  39. Continuing the conversation Keep it going! What ideas do you have?

  40. Continuing the Conversation • AFireKindled.com- online publication for integrating technology with education • AFireKindled.com/Community • Look for confirmation email when registering • Join Group: Educational Technology Roundtable • Post in the group forum

  41. Continuing the Conversation Interested in having your own site/social network? • Contact me: • me@johnricard.info or visit JohnRicard.info • Twitter: @johnricard or @magisterricard (see how I use Twitter for my classes) • Read: • AFireKindled.com • Sites/Projects: • RicardAcademy.info • Romae.org

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