Educational Networking: Analytical Reflection

In the past, social networking services were viewed as a distraction that offered no educational benefit. Now, the tremendous benefit and potential of social networking used in an educational context is being realized. Educational networks are platforms where connected learning for educators is becoming the norm.

Telecommuting networks are thought to hold great promise for improving the quality of teacher's work and students' educational experiences. Such networks may increase opportunities for interaction and collaboration among K-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, content area experts, parents and students. In addition, network use can help educators stay current with best practices in their field and help them to overcome problems such as teacher isolation ad limited on-site access to information (U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, 1995). Such potential benefits have lead to a "connectivity movement" in education (Gallo & Horton, 1994). In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of educators who use educational telecomputing network, as well as growth in the number and quality of networked education resources.

Educational networks have proven their worth by connecting educators through the technological advances of Web 2.0. Connectivity is a benefit to the entire educational community and lends itself to the innovation and creation of new methods, practices and means to improve our professional practices. In particular, statewide educational networks are now considered an important endeavor, generally recognized as necessary and effective. A "statewide" educational network extends to all areas of the state and provides educational services to a statewide audience (such as residents, higher education system, K-12 schools or libraries). All states have more than one statewide network. I have used several Texas statewide educational networks to secure information for my own professional practice as a Career Portals Instructor to eight-graders at Lincoln Middle School of Technology and Engineering.

Reference Citations: (1) Anderson, S., & Harris, J. (1997). Factors associated with amount of use and benefits obtained by users of a statewide educational telecomputing network. Educational Technology Research and Development , 45(1), 19-50. doi: 10.1007/BF02299611 (2) Gallo, M. A., & Horton, P. B. (1994). Assessing the effect on high school teachers of direct and unrestricted access to the Internet: A case study of an East Central Florida high school.Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(4), 17–39. (3) U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1995).Teachers and technology: Making the connection (OTAEHR-616). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02299611

Educational Social Networking Video Compilation

Selected Ed Networking Site: Classroom 2.0

I choose Classroom 2.0, the social network for those interested in Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies in the classroom with over 77,000 members from 188 countries! Classroom 2.0 is a free, community-supported network. Classroom 2.0 hopes that those who are "beginners" will find this a supportive comfortable place to start being part of the digital dialog. I found this site to be helpful to me as a first-year teacher. Of the 1,109 groups, I have joined the Beginning Teacher's Group and have already located information which will be useful in my professional practice. The collaboration with other first-year teachers from across the nation is enjoyable and informative.

Selected Ed Networking Site: edWeb.net

I selected edWeb.net for educational networking because, as indicated on the hone page of the site, it "it is a highly-acclaimed professional social and learning that has become a vibrant online community for exceptional educators, decision-makers, and influencers who are on the leading edge of innovation in education." I created an EDLD 5362 professional community to provide a platform of collaboration among the ENC_AP2 cohort. The site can be accessed at http://www.edweb.net/.59f2c975/

Web 2.0: A Perfect Fit for Educators

The advent of the Internet, however, and in particular what we are calling “Web 2.0,” has so significantly changed our relationship to information and our own personal learning opportunities outside of formal education, that we’re beginning to see a set of software tools emerge that are profoundly altering both learning processes and outcomes. These tools allow us to see the start of a radical evolution in education that will bring such dramatic changes that we’ll soon be at a point where we won’t be able to imagine education without them. Social and educational networking both come to us courtesy of Web 2.0. For a number of reasons, I believe that Web 2.0 is the perfect environment for educators, which is why forward-thinking school systems and academic institutions are working hard to make it a part of their practices. This new web is going to dramatically alter the 21st century landscape in education, shaping how students approach learning, how educators approach teaching, and, increasingly, how educators are interacting with, and learning from, each other. Web 2.0 plays to the strengths of educators — curiosity and love of learning — by opening the doors to collaboration and participation. It encourages and facilitates the natural desire to share what you know and to learn from your colleagues. And fully embracing Web 2.0 is a logical extension of the attempts that so many educators have made to use the Internet to connect, collaborate, and create since the first days of bulletin boards and list serves. So for many educators, it’s an incredibly exciting time. But it may also be confusing and even intimidating to a larger number. My purpose here is to offer some clarity around the confusion, and, more importantly, explain why the excitement around Web 2.0 is not just passing fad, but is grounded in the deep roots of how we learn. Citation: Hargadon, S. (2009). Educational networking: The important role web 2.0 will play in education. Elluminate White Paper, Retrieved from http://audio.edtechlive.com/lc/EducationalSocialNetworkingWhitepaper.pdf