Social networking like Facebook, Myspace, and text messaging is fluent in today's society among young people. This social networking allows students to communicate more ways then ever before. With technology being at the forefront of education, teachers should be able to take advantage of such a vast communication devices.
Social learning theory is a way for students to collaboratively work together to create an artifact to share and teach others. This theory allows students to be active in learning because are doing the research, compiling the information, and creating an artifacts that can be shared with classmates to teach. Social learning is a great way to connect all learning theories into one process.
Connecting all learning theories is a great way to incorporate collaborative learning. Learning occurs when students are able to connect all the different networks of knowledge together. Technology gives students the opportunity to connect and share information in more ways than at school. Connecting the different theories allows students to learn by doing so they are able to teach each other. Using social learning theories in the classroom is a great for students to collaborate and develop that social interaction skills needed to be successful in life after high school.
In my classroom, social learning keeps the students active because I like to let my students present information to the class. I like to give students topics on a particular concept and allow them to compile the information and present the information to the class, creating an artifact collectively in preparation for assessments like test and quizzes. Social learning allows teachers to get all involved with learning because all students must participate and work collaborative to create an artifact that contains all the correct information to teach each other. When students are able to gather information and teach to each other, learning is achieved.
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Michael,
ReplyDeleteStudents are definitely more involved with learning when they are collaborating and sharing with the class. They also are much more accountable for their own learning and depending on the assignment, their classmates may also depend on them. I think your idea of having students do a project of some sort in preparation for a test or quiz is a great idea. I haven't used that technique before. I typically give study guides and have students get organized before the test/quiz, but your way is much more meaningful in their learning. They are probably much more motivated as well. Thanks for sharing.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteSocial networking is very commonly used in today's society, and young people are frequent users of the examples you have mentioned. Facebook, for example, is a great way to stay in touch but also exchange ideas about a topic among a large group of people. However, this application requires students to login on a publicly social site where they are exposed to many potentially inappropriate sources, images, and language. Many students are also bullied on such sites, and this can lead to negative outcomes on an individual's mental health. These, of course, are extreme cases and only occur if student interactions are not closely monitored by a parent or teacher.
In a perfect world, an application such as Facebook would be an ideal tool for social learning. I believe that it is only a matter of time until there is a similar type of networking site for academic purposes. However, until something like that occurs, would you consider using Facebook or a similar social networking site for students to use as a part of the learning experience you hope to implement in your class?