Networks+for+Learning

__**Introduction**__ Technology has allowed for a dramatic increase in the channels for and frequency of communication. It has moved us from print to telegraph, telephone to television, e-mail to IM, and now to texting, blogging, Tweeting, and “Facebooking.”

Let’s look at three purposes for communicating through the lens of one professional communicating with another or others.

__**Disseminating Information**__ Humans have a desire to give information. As educators, we have transitioned this desire to our life’s work. It is no wonder, then, that educators have been among the ranks of early adopters of new communication tools; we want to tell what we know.

Blogging was one of the earliest of the Web 2.0 tools to “catch on.” In 2010, as the reign of the print newspaper seems to be ending, the number of blogs keeps rising exponentially. How interesting, then, to look at this phenomenon from a historical context. Please view this video, from The Fast Draw.

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__**Activity 1**__ There are several blogs in the Blogosphere that are worth following; these professionals are concerned with sharing good information with the worldwide educational community. Take some time to explore the following blogs. (The first link will take you to a list of good blogs.)


 * Edutopia’s Best Education Blogs
 * Free Technology for Teachers
 * Larry Ferlazzo’s Web Sites of the Day//
 * //Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach’s 21st CenturyLearning Blog

This activity is tied to this week’s assignment. Click on the link to the Week 3 Assignment for more information.

__**Finding Information**__ I would go so far as to say that a majority of Americans – and possibly the world – accepts “Googling” as a verb meaning “searching the internet for information.” Yes, Google is a useful search engine, and the advanced features are particularly helpful. Sometimes, however, the search results are either not current enough, not specific enough, or are too cumbersome to “wade” through. In such instances, one of the places I turn to is Twitter.

Yes, Twitter can be inane (I don’t really care what my neighbor is eating for dinner), but not if you know how to search. In fact, I have stopped following most of the people I follow, and am now using hashtags to search for the information I need.

Here is information on hashtags: (You can also go to this site directly by clicking here.)

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__**Activity 2**__ Try it for yourself. You don’t have to have a twitter account to do this.
 * 1) Go to www.twitter.com.
 * 2) In the top search bar, type: #edtech
 * 3) You will see a list of tweets from everyone who is tagging their tweet #edtech

Social convention dictates that hashtag posts be legitimate, though I can't guarantee this will always be the case.

Here are some other hashtags to search:
 * #edchat
 * #education
 * #principal
 * #TED
 * #specialed
 * #gifted
 * #ISTE

__**Sharing Information**__ As I’m sure many of you know, the world of social networking extends far beyond the realm of MySpace and FaceBook. Mostly through Ning, educators and other professionals are creating virtual networks that allow for asynchronous communication and collaboration.


 * Please note that free Ning accounts will be phased out beginning in May 2010.***

Some of these networks have been developed to meet a need of a particular group of individuals, with a finite time frame and/or number of participants. Several schools have created Nings, on which teachers are encouraged to share resources and communicate with one another. A principal or professional developer might start a Ning to support a district PD initiative and/or supplement PD workshops.

Other virtual professional networks have evolved beyond a finite time and need to become a destination for individuals who want to communicate with like-minded individuals. Some, like Classroom 2.0, have tens of thousands of members! It is to these networks that I point you now.

__**Activity 3**__ Please explore the following professional learning networks. I encourage you to join one or more, but “lurking” is fine.

● [| Classroom 2.0] ● [|K12 Online Conference] ● [|Curriculum 21] ● [|Future of Education]