Samantha,
Wow, that kind of incident always surprises me. You are right, the people you touch is amazing. I hop you shared this story with students. Oh the power . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I believe I had heard this phrase before but never really "got it" as far as the concept until this time.
Each contact we make (1st degree) is connected to a whole network of contacts ... and each of those is likewise connected and so on. This social media architecture virtually connects you with the world because of its exponential spread over these six layers or degrees.
I like also how it allows students to see their instructors and fellow students as real people ... not just academics or professors.
Thomas,
I agree with you. Many of the LMS's have changed their look to look more like a social media site. I think it can provide a connection to others without being intrusive but providing expert contacts and commentary.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
It appears that social media is creating less than Six Degrees of Separation. This is discussed in a CNN piece - On Facebook, it's now 4.74 degrees of separation http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/22/tech/social-media/facebook-six-degrees/index.html?iref=allsearch ... "The adage maintains there are "six degrees of separation" between any two people on Earth, meaning that any two people would know each other through no more than six intermediary contacts. On Facebook, however, the average user is only 4.74 degrees away from any other Facebooker."
Jaclyn,
I just love this info! Sharing this story with my colleagues. This can be such a powerful connection professionally and our students need to know that!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
People are not so far removed from one another and have numerous paths for connection. I was recently in Nashville. I went to buy a pair of boots. The store rep turned out to have recently moved there from my home and actually worked in a restaurant two miles away from me.
Hello Dr. Wilkinson,
The way I understand this concept is that we are now all connected in one way or another through the Internet and technology. Through social networks I have been able to re-connect with high school/college friends I had not heard of in years and family spread across the world, use social networks to keep current on my field and network professionally and today I'm learning on how we may be able to leverage social networking in our online courses.
Hector Morales
Greetings:
The six degrees of separation in social networking means that virtually everyone is contactable. It begins to shrink the world. If students are researching something chances are there is going to be someone that has a contact or additional information that will assist the student. The student can use the social network to expand and deepen their own understanding of the material. Instead of just talking to people in the class they now are talking to a global community that can help broaden the understanding and bring the material to life.
Rachelle
Rachelle,
What a great post! Social media does make anyone contactable. We are seeing more students develop job and internship opportunities through these avenues. Who knows what the future brings.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
George,
It is amazing. We have to make students aware of the smaller world we are in and it can work for and against them. That is so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hector,
It really is a great tool. Students need to make the transition from personal to professional to make themselves marketable. We have to educate our students on the idea that what we say and do can follow us for a long time.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Social networking allows students to see and engage in many conversations related to a topic as well as how their ideas connect or disconnect outside the classroom.
Having other professionals critique student work especially in an art setting allow them to go beyond their normal channels of peers. Students connect on other levels that are not based on a grade scale alone.
Jean,
Great strategies. It also allows students to recognize the power of social networking.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Six degrees of separation is based on the premise that we are all connected loosely. Social networking makes the world much smaller and allows us to connect easily with people with the click of a button. It can be a very beneficial tool in the learning process. It is also a very relevant way to get students to interact because it is something they are used to doing.
Gracie,
True, have you had a connection with someone who knew someone, who knew someone. . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I feel that each student is different. Some very quit and reserved as well as some that are more open. This allows the more reserved students to engage more and see different perspectives. As well as be as outgoing for the more open type students.
Social networking is huge and a potentially wonderful tool to connect content to application in the classroom. ALL of my students, on-ground or online, utilize this form of communication constantly throughout the day. I think that it is wise to utilize such a widely used tool for educational purposes.
Kimberly,
True each student is different but they still must know the world of social networking. I actually had a student that was asked for her username and password to check her Facebook and that was a larger discount company.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Shannon,
I agree with you, shouldn't we educate them where they are? There in social media. We need to help students develop their professional persona in social media. This is a way to provide real world application.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
According to Assistant Director of Public Relations Lisa Chau "Frigyes Karinthy's "six degrees of separation" concept suggests that any two people are connected by six steps of connection or fewer. Mark Granovetter's "theory on the strength of weak ties" advocates focusing on weak ties—people farther out on one's networks—for greater mobility. The intersection of these two models of thought can be molded into a powerful strategy for leveraging relationships, especially when compounded with social media" US News & World Report, 2012).
I have personally utilized social media websites such as Linkedin.com to further my network to involve global contacts. While it is nice to have a strong network nationally, the world is more vast these days and it is nice to know it is easier to network to find jobs abroad.
Chau, L. (2012). Economic Intelligence. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 23, 2014 from, http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/07/13/networking-social-media-and-the-six-degrees-of-seperation
