District Administration - May 2011 - (Page 85)

EssEntials on Education data and rEsEarch analysis ResearchCenter Social Networking as a Tool for Student and Teacher Learning By Stan Bumgardner and Kirk Knestis Online sOcial netwOrking includes much more than Facebook and twitter. it is any online use of technology to connect people, enable them to collaborate with each other, and form virtual communities, says the Young adult library services association. social networking sites may allow visitors to send e-mails, post comments, build web content, and/ or take part in live chats. social networking has quickly transformed how people of all ages work, play and shop—and even how we elect presidents. a 2010 Pew study illustrates that it has become an integral part of the world beyond k12 schools. in the two years prior to the study, use among Millennials (ages 18 to 33) rose from 67 percent to 83 percent, every generation 45 and older more than doubled its participation, and adults 74 and older quadrupled their participation (from 4 percent to 16 percent). among students surveyed in a national school Boards association study, 96 percent of those with online access reported using social networking, and half said they use it to discuss schoolwork. Despite this prevalence in everyday life, schools have been hesitant to adopt social networking as an education tool. a 2010 study into principals’ attitudes found that “schools are one of the last holdouts,” with many banning the most popular social networking sites for students and sometimes for staff. District and school administrators justifiably have questions about social networking: How can we protect students? what are the educational benefits? what policy issues need to be considered? There seem to be no quick or easy answers. as a result, the adoption of social networking for education purposes lags behind the www.DistrictAdministration.com more positive about potential benefits than those who had not. in an online discussion with 12 of the principals surveyed, most said, “social networking and online collaboration tools would make a substantive change in students’ educational experience.” They said these tools could improve student motivation and engagement, help students develop a more social/collaborative view of learning and create a connection to real-life learning. public’s general usage. likewise, due to the newness of the phenomenon, empirical research is scarce. survey research confirms, however, that interest in harnessing social networking for educational purposes is high. as reported in school Principals and social networking in education: Practices, Policies and realities in 2010, a national survey of 1,200 principals, teachers and librarians found that most agreed that social networking sites can help educators share information and resources, create professional learning communities and improve schoolwide communications with students and staff. Those who had used social networks were Protecting Students in the web 2.0 world of social networking, students are not only accessing online material but generating content and interacting with others. (The term “web 2.0” simply refers to web applications that facilitate interaction and collaboration.) The consortium for school networking (cosn) has outlined how states are addressing web 2.0 technologies from a policy standpoint (see www.cosn.org/ initiatives/web2/aUPguide/tabid/8139/ Default.aspx). Most national, state and local policies have not yet addressed social networking specifically; by default, it often Sample Guidelines for the Use of Educational Networking Sites by Professional Staff 1. Let your administrator, fellow teachers and parents know about your educational network. 2. When available, use school-supported networking tools. 3. Do not say or do anything that you would not say or do as a teacher in a classroom. (Remember that all online communications are stored and can be monitored.) 4. Have a clear statement of purpose and outcomes for the use of the networking tool. 5. Establish a code of conduct for all network participants. 6. Do not post images that include students without parental release forms on file. 7. Pay close attention to the site’s security settings and allow only approved participants access to the site. Source: Dysart Unified School District, Arizona May 2011 85 http://www.cosn.org/Initiatives/Web2/AUPGuide/tabid/8139/Default.aspx http://www.cosn.org/Initiatives/Web2/AUPGuide/tabid/8139/Default.aspx http://www.cosn.org/Initiatives/Web2/AUPGuide/tabid/8139/Default.aspx http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2011

District Administration - May 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
The Cradle-to-Career Solution
Turnaround Principals
Starving for Recess
Army Strong, Superintendent Savvy
Budgeting Based on Student Needs
Research Center
Books
Product Focus
Products
Superintendent's Insights
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion

District Administration - May 2011