Content and Policy for Proper Use
Why is it important for students to develop good social networking habits?
It is very important for students to develop good social networking habits. When using the internet and providing personal information a certain level of caution should be maintained. Additionally, students should always be mindful of what they are posting to be sure to protect themselves.
The world wide web is an annonomous, non personal environment for people to "post" every nuance of their lives. Doing so can open a pandora's box that can never be closed again. Caution and boundries must be set in place to maintain ones ethic's and integrity.
As it states in our course, education and the way the students learn today are different from years past. Social media is everywhere, and it is important to know " how to act" in any given situation involving this arena. Technology is only going to increase in the future, and social media along with it. If our students do not master the skills and knowledge to engage in this manner, they will be unable to engage in the workplace as well as social areas.
Social media offers lots of opportunities for learning and interactivities and there are many benefits to social media. Technology use in the classroom helps engage students. You can bring a class alive using social media as a new forms of communication.
Social media is designed for the purpose of communal connections. Facebook, twitter and instagram connect and share things with others. You can share personal pictures, links to other sites or even commenting on someone’s post, students engage, stretching beyond social interaction purposes alone. Students use social media day in and day out to interact with their peers and even teachers about class-related subjects.
There is so much more interaction of knowledge among students using social media as they can share so much information with each other all the time.
Social networking sites can prove to be a double edged sword. They can be helpful for students later on when they are trying to find jobs through such sites as Linkedin. However, as posts from many years back can be referenced students need to be critical of what they post. They could be seen as a liability or posibly irresponsible by pontential employers. This example is most often seen with sites such as Facebook and Twitter where students may post pictures or viewpoints.
Social networking is increasingly becoming an important part of a growing list of professions. From viral marketing campaigns to networked intellectual communities to wider collaboration and information-sharing, social networking can have an expansive and unique set of roles in a professional context. Like most technological innovations, social networking is neutral, with the potential to be abused to spread negativity and harm but, also, with the potential to make positive, constructive connections benefiting industry and individual alike. Students who graduate with a familiarity, ease, and savvy knowledge of social networking have a significant advantage in the digital era we live in.
You make some very important points. "Students use social media day in and day out to interact with their peers and even teachers about class-related subjects." This is important because in our online world connections can be made that impact the classroom. An instructor can reach out to the student in an environment that is both familiar and welcome.
It is important for students to make solid connections on social media. But new visitors to the world of online interaction need to be aware that what they are posting is viewable by anyone, anywhere and can be used for purposes not intended by the author. The best advice is given in today's lesson--think twice (perhaps three times) before posting to the social media sites.
I have to agree with you about the anonymity of the social media scene. It is for this exact reason that many with less than desirable motives are "lurking" in social sites. One needs to be mindful of this and tread cautiously.
Shenita,
Great point. That knowledge can be a byproduct of the learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Doni,
This is true. An online course is an convenient way to incorporate those "life" lessons.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Amy,
Good point. It is important to make students see the implications of their social networking actions. Employers are looking. . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Aisling,
Do you think it is a good media to develop the classroom relationships? I am debating on how to use it effectively.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Angela,
Great post. Yes, the problem we can "scrub" our past online. It can haunt us!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Edward,
You make a GREAT point. Social media is just a tool. How one uses the tool determines the outcome.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Virginia,
You make such a great point. If students are comfortable with the medium, it will empower them to engage in the discussion.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Virginia,
You are right, we have to educate students in the correct way to incorporate social media into their professional lives.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Virginia,
We have treat social media with caution and professionalism. It is important to understand the professional implications of social media. Good post.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
When conducting face to face interactions, one can see body language and interpret meaning from non verbal cues. However, when online interactions are occurring, the writing is all that we can go on, thus we take the written message literally. Perhaps, in time, as one gets to know their online students better, it is possible to read between the lines.
