08b+Social+Networks


 * Cooperative learning and social networks **

An environment conducive to cooperative learning is characterised as follows:
 * students feel safe, but also challenged
 * groups are small enough that everyone can contribute
 * the task students work together is clearly defined.

The fact that this kind of learning traditionally takes place in the classroom under teacher supervision does not mean that this is a characteristic of cooperative learning. Cooperative learning can happen at any place and any time. The students do not have to be in the same room, or even in the same country. Mobile devices and the Internet make it possible for students to conduct the learning through social networks online. Tools such as instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and wikis can support this kind of interaction.

These tools //only make it possible// for such learning to take place. It is primarily the teacher's responsibility to:
 * 1) plan structured, challenging learning experiences
 * 2) coordinate learning partners
 * 3) manage group composition
 * 4) provide guidance about online safety
 * 5) suggest online tools that can be used
 * 6) develop a formative, ongoing assessment strategy

__ Social Networking __

Social networking websites like my space,face book,twitter and windows live spaces are services people can use to connect with others to share information, photos ,videos and personal messages.
Social media opens up all new avenues of communication for college students, their classmates and their professors. With social media, the classroom can be a lively experience all day long. Professors have become more accessible, often clarifying assignments via twitter or sharing content on their blogs. Students benefit from these extra communication channels. They can process information and contribute to class discussions at their own pace. They can more easily ask questions of their peers and professors

==== As the popularity of these social sites grows,so do the risks of using them. Hackers ,spammers,Virus writers ,identity thieves and other criminals follow the traffic.Peer to peer harassment and bullying are much more common threats to online youngsters, which are a concern both online and off. ====

There are a few safety tips that can be used to guide or protect persons online.
> >  In this digital world, opportunities for education are available like never before .though teachers using online tools are empowering students to take part in their education ,they may also expose them to in appropriate material,sexual predators, bullying and harassment by peers. Also teachers who are not careful with their use of sites can fall into in appropriate relationships with students or publicize photos and information they believed were kept private.
 * ==== Use caution when you click links. ====
 * ==== Know what you've posted about yourself. ====
 * ==== To avoid giving away emails addresses of your friends do not allow social networking services to scan you email address book social network site directly into you browser or use your personal book mark. ====
 * ==== Type the address of your social network site directly into you browser or use your personal book mark. ====
 * ==== Be selective about who you accept as a friend on a network. ====
 * ==== Choose your social network carefully. ====
 * Make sure that students know how to protect themselves on social networking sites through the tools provided. It’s important to discuss the value of privacy with students. Encourage students to keep their passwords private and work with them to check the privacy settings on their account which limit how much of their information can be seen by others – for example, encourage students to change their settings to private so that only people they allow can see what they post and comment on their space, rather than public which leaves their site open to be viewed by anyone.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">When faced with <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> on-line   <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> risk, students can talk to someone that they trust about what happened or if they can, try to fix the problem, delete a problematic message, block an unwelcome person.  <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">[1]

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<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">According to a study conducted by the University of Minnesota, Chrisine Greenhow, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19.2px;">who was the principal investigator in a study elaborated on the impact of social networking could have on education Students who are already engaging in social networking can benefit from inc operating it into the curriculum .through utilizing teaching techniques that inc operate social media, teachers are able to increase students engagement into their education ,increasing students proficiency ,contribute to a greater sense of collaboration in the classroom, ,build better communication skills. ===== ==== Another study ,which analyzed how student perform when asked to use twitter to do assignments ,found that students who were asked to contribute to class discussion and complete assignments using Twitter increased their engagement over a semester more than twice as much as a control group. ==== ==== use of social networking not only benefits students, but also provide a new opportunity for communication amongst teachers and administrators. According to a Report featured in the Journal of education technology system. ==== ==== As the debate over the role technology and social networking play in the classroom continues ,proponents on both sides are fighting to find a balance between the importance of innovation and the safety of students. though there are risks associated with encouraging students to use social networking sites. ====

proponents argue the potential for opportunity outweighs the cost .As solutions that satisfy both sides continue to develop ,online education resources which may for growth in schools.
http://peta-marie.blogspot.com/2010/09/social-netwroking-activitieswhat-do.html Resources: h__ttp://www.huffingtonspot.com/2011/03/27/social-networking-schools n 840911.html__ __ http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/social-networking.aspx __

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