Journal #8

Greenhow, C. (2009). Tapping the wealth of social networks for professional development. Learning & Leading with Technology June/July, 36(8). Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20090607#pg12

This article discusses the impacts that emerging social networking technologies have on both teachers and students.  Social bookmarking sites such as Delicious and Diigo provide teachers the tools to "collectively assemble, annotate, recommend, and share scholarly resources, such as books, journal articles, websites, and contacts. "  This collective approach can help develop research based best practices and allows teachers to archive their findings as well.  Other social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can also help provide emotional support and recognition for both teachers and students.  This large social network can help teachers reflect and trouble shoot their practices along with providing peer validation for students further encouraging their online presence.

1) What are the benefits of social networking sites for teachers?

As the title of the article implies, there is a wealth of information and feedback through social networking sites that can contribute to professional development for educators. Teachers can tap into this large instant network to get ideas to improve their teaching techniques or trouble shoot any issues. They can also showcase their work to get recognition from others that can sometimes lead to professional advancement.  Using tools such as social bookmarking sites can also help to access the collaborative intelligence and provide the ability to easily archive important resources.

2) What are the benefits of social networking sites for students?

The benefits of social networking sites for students are that they encourage literacy and provide a space for social learning and interaction. When students post their work on sites such as Facebook and Myspace they often get positive feedback from the peers.  This positive reinforcement encourages them to put more effort and creativity into their work seeking more validation.  These social sites also function as an emotional support network for students to help them through challenging assignments or transitions such as going away to college.