Social Media Uses in the Local (American) Context

Having explored a variety of international perspectives on how other educators in the world are using social media in their classrooms, as well as the effects of social media on education in their respective contexts, it is now timely to come back and look at the American context to understand the state of affairs here and how we are employing social media to support learning. Being widely recognised as the no.1 country in technology innovation and entrepreneuring spirit, I would suppose there will far more interesting ideas on social media integration here in the American education system. Apart from what we are doing in this course (which is a GREAT example) and the many personal and professional example which the folks in this class had shared, some other approaches of using Web 2.0 and social media are:

Students in a particular high school are using online chats to discuss about books they had read in class, using the tool to listen and respond to one another’s opinions with textual evidence.

An AP biology teacher in New Milford High school challenges his students to discuss the stages of meiosis on Twitter using a shared hashtag, of which they would need to exercise creativity and succinctness in their answers as limited by the 140 characters.

Rock Prairie Elementary School in College Station, Texas is using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to build an online community so that they can share school news, communicate and engage with parent groups.

One particular college is also using social media to facilitate research projects by allowing students to search, discover, post findings, and cross-check statements on the platforms. Through the process, students get to engage with the latest real-time events, engage current problems or issues, discuss findings and provide solutions.

In University of Hawaii, students create and share videos on Instagram to introduce themselves, “meet” on Google Hangouts to discuss issues, and “tweet” to share online resources.

Another college professor is streaming and recording his lectures on Periscope, so that student can ask questions in real-time without interrupting the presentation, and those who missed it could also stream and replay the broadcast later on.

From an educational perspective, and with the way social media had permeated our societies like never before, it seems like a foregone conclusion that utilizing social media to support and facilitate learning in the classroom is the way of the future. However, many considerations still have to be taken in order to adopt the right tools and the right strategies to make social media work for us.

With these examples in mind, I am really looking forward to seeing the creations and products of the Produsage Projects in this class, and hopefully that would provide more ideas and inspiration for us to adopt and adapt social media to support learning.   

Sources:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/273044

http://www.teachercast.net/2016/06/02/social-medias-influence-education-system/

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2014/11/05/social-media-gains-momentum-in-online-education

https://www.mheducation.com/blog/thought-leadership/how-social-media-can-help-students-study.html

Designing for Community – Additional Things to Think About!

In this week’s voicethread, Vanessa has talked about some important aspects to think about when designing for an online community; such as shared interest, knowledge and communication needs, goals, anxieties and fears. I also commented and shared on certain issues of technology that educators ought to consider, such as learners access to the tools to be used. Planning for the use of Web 2.0 technology and social media tools can often be a daunting and challenging process, and I would like to suggest a few more aspects to consider:

1. For any learning to take place and flourish, student safety and security is paramount and must be ensured. Instructional designers must therefore design and provide an online environment that is safe for student interactions and closed for the sole purpose of participation by only the learners within the community.

2. There should also be clarity in the instructions to the learners. They must be clear on what to do on the platforms, and what needs to be done to achieve the requirements. If there are assessments within the course, students should also be informed on how and when they would be evaluated for their participation or performance.

3. To enhance the learning experience, no Web 2.0 technology or social media tool should be used in isolation. Instead, plan for a variety of tools and platforms for an enhanced student engagement. On the other hand, using too many tools might also be problematic for learners! Careful thought must be accorded to select the right combination of tools that learners would be comfortable with.

4. Finally, similar to a F2F class, teacher presence in an online environment is very critical as well! As learning in an online community is largely asynchronous in nature, the instructor is even more so important to show his/her presence online to facilitate the activities and provide feedback when necessary.

Source: http://singteach.nie.edu.sg/issue51-classroom01/

Social Media in Singapore’s education landscape

In this post, we will continue to explore how Singaporeans are using social media in their lives, but this time more specifically in the educational context. Singapore has always been considered as having a high-performing education system, but exactly how have we adopted and used social media to support learning in our system? So I went to google in the hope of exploring cases where educators had employed Web 2.0 technologies and social media in the classrooms. The results were interesting and encouraging, and this was what I found:

A secondary school history teacher is using Edmodo (social learning network) for his students to upload photo montages about the Cold War, so that they can showcase their products, share viewpoints and comment on each other’s work at their own convenience. On the same platform, the teacher also upload resources and notes, facilitate discussion boards and create quizzes to assess his student’s understanding.

Another group of 4 secondary school teachers are bringing social media into the classroom to help engage their students in literature study. Again, Edmodo is again the preferred tool for students to live out their lives of the main characters in their literature textbook "Red Sky in the Morning". They learn by posting status updates on Edmodo as those characters, and as the story progressed, their status updates had to reflect the change and growth of the characters. In addition, students also interact within a closed Facebook group that was specially set up for the class, using the platform to discuss their literary opinions and share materials.

In a local university, a professor is using Facebook to teach a Business Communication Course. A closed group was set up to facilitate the learning process; the professor had used the platform to connect with his students, share resources, communicate information and facilitate group discussions.

A polytechnic math lecturer is using Twitter to send out math problems and asking the students to “tweet” out the answers, while projecting the responses on a screen in front of the class in real time.  

     

These are just some examples of how Singapore educators are employing social media to support learning in the classrooms.

Do you identity with any of the strategies above?

In the context that you are familiar with, are there other interesting social media strategies that you had come across to support learning in the classroom?

Social Media - The Singapore Context

So in this week's readings, we get to explore a few different international perspectives on how Web 2.0 and Social Media tools had helped to shape learning in the respective societies, teaching and educational environments. To kick off this week's series of blogposts, I will first look at some of the social media statistics in the context of Singapore to provide the background for further discussion of how Singaporeans might have leveraged and utilized social media in the education settings. The following sets of infographics provides a quick snapshot of social media in the country.

As you can see, Singapore has a small population, but the number of internet users is relatively huge at about 79% of the whole country's people. Social media penetration currently stands at 3.8 Million users (69%), compared to other Asian countries at 51%. This could be strongly attributed to the high connectivity and tech-savvy population in the country.

It is pretty clear that Facebook garners the most users in the realm of social media in Singapore, and I think this is quite consistent with most countries. This is followed by Youtube (video streaming), Whatsapp (instant messaging App) and Google+ (Web 2.0 collaborative tool). Surprising, there are less people using Twitter and Pinterest, tools that could be considered extremely popular in other parts of the world.

It is also starkly clear that corporations and businesses have started to explore and leverage on social media to engage their audience/customers and sell their products. Looking at the most popular answers that they are seeking, they want to know more about tactics and tools to connect and engage their audience, as well as analytics to measure the success.

Looking at the gender demographics, there is not a lot of difference between male and female users in the three social networks; Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.

So the biggest takeaway from these statistics is that Social Media platforms are certainly flourishing and its penetration amongst the population is only going to get higher with increased connectivity and proliferation of smartphones in the country. There is also a good spread of Web 2.0 tools and social networks that the population is using. This data also shows which tools are most popular with internet users, and therefore provides business owners and educators with a clear idea of which media to utilize to engage their audiences and achieve their respective outcomes.






Source: http://www.hashmeta.com/social-media-singapore-infographic/

A Quick Recap & Reflection On This Course So Far

I think most of you can agree with me that we have definitely achieved much in the last four weeks of this course. So much so that as I recap on tools that we had been introduced to, the class activities that we had dabbled in, the interactions that we had on social media, I must say the list is pretty long! So as I rolled back the time and try to recollect how and why we had been using each of the tools for, everything seems much clearly to me now.

In week 1, we started our individual blogs and began our blogging journey. We jumped onto Twitter and tweeted our lives away. We explored networks and communities, and how they can work for us. Essentially, we learned how to share resources via such blogging and online/social bookmarking platforms, and important piece of how we engage with one another in the online environment.

In week 2, we explored tools such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat in relation to PLNs. We dived into communities to observe how they function and understand norms associated with each of them. Essentially, we learned how social networking can expand one’s resources to attain specific knowledge or information.

In week 3, we tried Pinterest, Flickr, Reddit, Diigo and other tools to discover more resources, and in the process understood how their utilities can support us to promote or search for expertise knowledge. Essentially, we learned how social bookmarking/tagging is fundamental to how these tools function and operate. We also engaged one another on IP issues on the social media, and how to tackle them.

And this week, we started with Wikis and Google Maps, and in the process learned how the creation of online workspaces could promote and facilitate collaborative activities within the class. This has also nicely provided the backdrop for us to think deeper about instructional design for social media.

So how do we approach instructional design for social media?

From our collective experiences, I can say that it is indeed undeniable that social media has kept us highly engaged and intellectually challenged. It is a unique process where we explored and discovered new territories. It is experiential learning in practice. While we enjoy the activities and the process of learning, we also have to reflect upon our learning experiences and evaluate our growth. Using this course as an example, the graded assignments and projects provided a good avenue for that formal assessment piece. In other words, when designing instruction for social media, one must not be distracted by merely focusing on the learning activities, but the emphasis must also be placed on the learning outcomes.   

Hi Guys!

Just a shout out to you guys to visit my specially curated Pinterest Board comprising of essential Marathon training tips, ranging from 

easy-to-follow training programs, 

best food for runners, 

stretching & strengthening exercises,

running techniques, 

& many more!

Click on the Pinterest button on the right navigation bar now to go to my Board!  

or Click on this link below:

https://www.pinterest.com/sinnedor2016/marathon-preparation-for-beginners/

The Rise of Temporary & Anonymous Apps - A Worrying Reality?

Today, I read this very interesting article on @SocialMediaToday that highlights the issues surrounding teenagers and social media, particularly on the appeal of temporary and anonymous Apps. Current trending social media networks and tools that fall into this category include SnapChat, Kik, Line, WhatsApp, Omegle, and many more, which I believe most of us would not even have heard of. So why exactly are these Apps so popular with teenagers?

The writer points out that the main reason for such behavior is that teenagers in these days are placing a much higher premium on their privacy, preferring to keep their social media interactions within their inner circles and cliques, and further away from their parents. (Just like how teenagers value their personal spaces, but in the online environment) Hence, such Apps clearly allow them to do so.

Personally, I feel that the appeal of such Apps could also be strongly attributed to their anonymity-nature, as teenagers could enjoy the thrill of posting stuff that they would not normally share, and communicating in a manner which they would not dare to do so in the physical world. This provides the freedom for them to act, behavior and explore many things without any consequences.

Of course, the biggest problem of this is that such Apps could also provide an unchecked, and therefore ideal environment for predators to lurk on such platforms where they can easily exploit the naivety of teenagers. So it is important that parents take actions and educate their children on the effects of such tools. Below is a very useful infographic put together by Rawhide.Org on the facts of the matter, and ways to tackle the issues.    



Source: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/temporary-and-anonymous-apps-whats-teen-appeal-infographic

Google Maps - A Simple & Effective Tool for Collaborative Work

From the list of suggested tools this week, Google Maps has proved to be one of the more interesting and easy-to-use tools that I had ever tried my hands at. I think we are all pretty familiar with using Google Maps for checking directions, as well as mapping out the routes to reach our destinations. However, we had the chance to try something different this time round. In responding to Vanessa's challenge, we learned how to collaboratively build a map with a collection of annotations and descriptions of places we had visited for vacation. Some thoughts that I would like to share in relation to this particular experience are:

1. This collaborative activity might look simple, but it was extremely effective in allowing us to build a learning community for the class. As each of us contributed our portions, we each bring a different story, a different experience to the table, and we ALL learn from these diverse perspectives.

2. This exercise did not just allow me to learn more about my classmates, but also myself. By framing and drafting my contributions, I started to ask tough question about my own work, what is appropriate and whether the information is accurate to be shared with my classmates. To stretch it further, there is seemingly an inherent self-critique element in this nature of collaborative exercises.

3. As I read others' contributions, I tend have questions in my mind that I would like to explore further. Hence, from the instructional perspective, such collaborative activities definitely have the potential for peer-instruction to take place, if we are allowed to start asking questions and interacting with one another on the subjects. As "content-creators", using Google Maps in this manner can certainly encourage students to learn from each other.

4. We all read, contribute and learn at different pace. This collaborative activity precisely facilitates that. For example, when I logged in, there has been many of my classmates who had contributed their portions. As I read, I decide what to contribute, when to contribute, at my own pace. This certainly gives students the flexibility and convenience for learning, improving not just time efficiency, but also time management.

As a tryout, I also created my own map with pins of countries and cities that I had visited in my lifetime, with a short annotation for each place. I have also posted the link before, if you are interested!

Link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1il34FCjjfSWC9U79bNplrEvFVgg&usp=sharing


If you share similar perspectives on Google Maps, or have other ideas about this tool, leave a comment and we can discuss about it!

Taking a Chill Pill For Your Social Media Fatigue

So Vanessa wrote an open letter to us last week, warning us about social media fatigue and urged us to disconnect for while whenever possible. I could not agree more on the timely manner of the message considering that we had all been pretty much intensely immersed in social media and other related tools for the past three weeks of this course.

Being a good student, I took the advice and it seems to work wonders! I now feel more energetic and ready to roll for the final part of this course. Along the process, I also read some articles on how people cope with such fatigue. One such article (refer to source below) asked a crucial question if social media fatigue is really about fatigue, or should we start referring to it as social media fear or disappointment. This is rather interesting as we all have FOMO (Fear of missing out) moments in our lives, and some of us unintentionally extend that fear to the social media platform. Therefore, the idea that social media does not cause fatigue, but an emotional reaction about fear and disappointment, might actually hold some truth. So from this perspective, I will like to share 5 quick tips on how we can deal with it:

1) Be reasonable with our own expectations - There are just too may tools for us to explore, too many interesting articles to read, too many exciting and fun stuff to do in this course, BUT TOO LITTLE TIME TO DO ALL. Hence, be very clear on how much time we have to do the necessary work each week; manage that expectation, then pick and choose on what you can do.

2) Plan, plan, plan - From my own experience in the last three weeks, planning really helps! You do not need to feel "forced" to be social media every single day. Plan for it, follow the schedule, log in, post the work, log off, and you are done!

3) Track, track, track - Track what you have done for the week! All of us feel compelled to keep plugging at social media and the tools because we are unclear of how much we had done, hence the anxiety arrives at the end of the week which inadvertently forces us to overwork. Vanessa's weekly checklist is a great tool to begin with! Or less formulate your own preferred one each week.

4) Don't compete with others - There is always that classmate who has more time (hence more presence online) than others! So do not feel pressurized to post more than you can manage, but rather post within your means (time!) and of course also when the inspiration comes. Understand your own value and contributions that you bring to the class, and you will feel less stressed about it.

5) Explore beyond the list - The list of tools given to us for tryout may be pretty long each week, but there is nothing to stop us from exploring outside this list if we want to. Take a different approach by trying out a different tool that no one has heard before, blog about it, share it with the class, and you will feel a lot more energized just be doing that!





Source: http://outspokenmedia.com/social-media/the-secret-to-social-media-fatigue/

Pinterest FTW! Visit My Collection To See Why!

Hi guys! Welcome back to my blog again! In my final post for the week, I am going to share with you my small curated collection of useful resources that you can utilize to prepare for a marathon race. I am an avid runner, and am currently training for my first ever marathon. Yes! Does that sound exciting to you? Or scary at the thought of running a marathon? The task is certainly daunting, considering that the longest distance I had ever covered was the half-marathon. Hence, the preparation phase is extremely important, and we can definitely make use of the extensive lists of online resources to help us get in shape, and complete a marathon with success!

Well, with this in mind, I am here to help you achieve your goals, especially if you are a beginner and aspire to run a marathon in the near future. For this purpose, I will be sharing the resources via Pinterest, and the link to my Resource Board is:

https://www.pinterest.com/sinnedor2016/marathon-preparation-for-beginners/

Alternatively you can also search and access it via my profile, available on our course EME6414 Board in Pinterest.

For a start, I had pinned a few very basic resources that you can read, follow and begin with: training plans, essential stretches, meal plans, and some essential tips to take note of. These should really get you started on it, and I will also be updating the Board with more essential resources as the days go by.

So if you are training for a marathon as well, I hope these resources will be useful for your endeavor.

If you are a runner but has not decided if you want to run a marathon, I hope this collection can motivate you to do so.

If you are not a runner, I really hope this can inspire you enough to give it a try in future!

So I do hope you can take a look at my Board, ask questions or leave a comment for me! Much appreciated!

Prisma - The Next New App to Rock The Social Media World?

While you guys are still busy catching Pokemons, do you know that there is another App (albeit a non-gaming one) that is currently making everyone go crazy? Yes, I am talking about the Prism App. Or, you may not have heard of it yet, or know of many people who are using it, as it is currently only available for download on iOS devices. (Andriod version will be out end of this month!)

So I downloaded the App on my iPhone and tried it today, and the results are pretty amazing.

Can you spot the differences between the "before" and "after" effects of using the App?

The App is extremely easy to use, and the interface is as straightforward as it can get. When you load up the App, you can either snap a picture with the in-built camera function, or select a photo from your device gallery, which was what I did. Yes, pretty much like Instagram, you may think. But Prisma has the slight edge, as it uses never-seen-before art-inspired, stylistic filters to convert your photos to artworks, offering you a magical yet surprisingly realistic feel to your photo memories.

If you have an iOS device, download it now, play with it and leave a comment to let me know if you like it!

Goodreads - A Treasure Trove for Avid Readers

SO I have never heard of Goodreads before this class and it is not surprising considering that I am a self-confessed non-reader in my circles of friends. So this week certainly provided an opportunity for me to understand a little bit more about this tool and see what it could have done for me. Went to the website, set up my account, browse around, and 2 hours later, my thoughts on the tool are:

1. Goodreads is HUGE - its has over 50 Million members, an archive comprises 1.5 Billion books and more than 50 Million book reviews that members can access, read, comment, ask questions, and discuss on. It is essentially a gigantic online community for avid readers to share content, perspectives, feelings and opinions on all things related to the books they have read, or want to read.

2. Goodreads CONNECTS - not just members to other members who share similar interests (based on reading preferences), but also members and their friends at a more micro-level. The tool lets you see what books your friends (or people in your specified networks) are reading, providing yet another social-networking opportunity to expand your interactions with one another. For people who are seeking to expand their Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), this can provide a great opportunity to do so!

3. Goodreads MANAGES KNOWLEDGE - in the sense that users can use its features to track the books that they had read, currently reading and want to read in future. Not just by the numbers, but also providing a system to manage and share the knowledge they create; via their reviews, insights, and perspectives. Goodreads is not just a Knowledge Management (KM) tool, it is also a blogging tool!

And of course, the premise for this tool to work for you is that you are an avid reader who also love to interact with fellow readers. Giving this tool a try then may be one of the best adventures you have taken in your life!

Intellectual Property In Social Media: Not As Straightforward As It Seems

In this week's voicethread, we tackled the issues of Intellectual Property (IP) and related concerns on Social Media. I feel that it is indeed an opportune time to think about these issues as we grapple with the utility of what social media can do for us in this course, as well providing a timely reminder to how we create and reuse materials while experimenting with different online tools.

As I had briefly commented in the voicethread, I believe that the general population who are active on social networks or other online platforms do not actually think much about IP issues when they are connecting, interacting or conducting business in social media. In most cases, we can also argue that the majority of people would appear to adopt a nonchalant or "heck-care" attitude towards IP issues on social media. There are several reasons which I could possibly think of to explain such blatant disregard to play by the rules.

1. Lack of Education on the issues.
Firstly, the complexity of IP rights and its associated rules, regulations and definitions may prove to be the first stumbling block for a lot of people, even for the learned population. Without understanding the issues and its consequences, it would be unrealistic to expect social media users to abide by the rules; in a similar vein, without having clarity on the rules (dos and don'ts), it would almost be impossible to teach and expect users to adopt the correct approaches to IP on social media.

2. Lack of Regulation on the Internet.
The onus may be on social media users to do the right thing, but the lack of regulation and policing in the digital environment may be to blame for users' seemingly lack of regard for IP rights and giving credit or proper attribution for reuse of materials. In addition, the supposed gaps on the laws governing online communities may have contributed to the attitudes and behaviors of today's social media users, and hence tightening such laws and standardization of IP regulations may just be the catalyst to improve the situation and provide solutions to the issues in the social media space.

3. "Ideals" of Social Media. 
The proliferation of social media has been a boon for many people; business owners, celebrities, newsmakers, communities, etc. But it is also the connectivity, ease of sharing and constant spread of ideas and information in the digital landscape; all part of the ideals of social media that support the growth of our online activities. Social Media and networking is envisaged to be a fast, efficient and high frequency endeavor in a seemingly free environment. Therefore from this perspective, placing too much thoughts and considerations on IP concerns every time one engages in an online activity may be considered rather counter-intuitive to these ideals.

Having said all these, I hope I do not come across as coming up with excuses, but rather creating an opportunity to sensitize ourselves to the pertinent issues of IP in the online environment. To address the root of the problem, users need to be educated and encouraged to adopt the correct approaches to navigating IP issues in social media.

Snapchat is Fun and Nice, but I am Not Too Crazy about It

Most of us in the class would have tried Snapchat this week and found it somewhat fun and interesting in using the App to capture a photo or video, adding fun filters, captions, doodles or lenses for selfies. At its core, Snapchat is a photo or video messaging App that allows users to send out brief content in the form of "snaps" to their contacts or followers. As a means of communications, Snapchat is easy to use (if you get used to it), and could be effective for businesses, entertainers and personalities to deliver the intended message to their audience or fan bases.

The really funny and unique thing about Snapchat that still stumps me is the fact that snaps would disappear after they are viewed (ok you have actually 10 full seconds to watch and re-watch the snap). First time users may also find the App's main screen to be a little weird and confusing to navigate around, as the App launches right into the camera view and one would definitely have to get used to the buttons and icons around the edges of the screen.

Once I got around the user-interface, my next challenge was finding and adding contacts. Finding friends was a chore, and a key realization at this point was definitely the fact that only a FEW of my friends are using Snapchat! Perhaps I should not be so surprise, as data had also shown that the heaviest Snapchatters belong to the 16-25 age group (I'm 35, so are most of my friends in my network).

Other than sending photos or videos to friends, I also tried the Chat and "Here" features, which essentially connects you to your contacts. Hmm...nothing new or innovative about these functions, so I thought. I think I am rather comfortable with using my other social messaging Apps, such as WhatsApp or FaceTime, etc.

Finally, Snapchat "Discover" is perhaps the only feature that appeals to me, after spending a few days fiddling around with the App. It allows me to find interesting stories from many editorial teams in the areas of Sports, Entertainment, Politics, News channels etc. The really unique aspect of this feature is that each story is presented in a series of snaps, music and text combined, which make the storytelling a little bit more captivating for the audience.

Periscope - A Game Changer in Live-Broadcasting?

So today I participated in the class's Periscope experiment, and my experience once again reinforced my belief that it has the potential to be a great tool to support learning and learner engagement. Actually, the live stream by Vanessa this morning was not the first one that I had viewed, as I had accidentally chanced upon the press conference by the Dallas Police Chief streamed live on Periscope in the earlier hours of the morning.

We all knew about the #Dallas police shooting tragedy that happened last night. And in the next few hours after the incident, I was keenly following news and updates on the Dallas Police Department (@DallasPD) Twitter page when the link on #Periscope to the live press conference by the Dallas Mayor and Police Chief was tweeted out. I then realized that both my Periscope and Twitter accounts are actually linked, which conveniently gave me the opportunity to watch the live stream of the press conference on Periscope.

Immediately, the first thought that came to my mind was how easy, use-friendly and viral this App is in capturing the crucial moments and presenting it to the wider audience. While I was satisfied with following the updates on the Twitter feed, the option of watching the live-broadcast of the press conference was a welcomed surprise. Rather than reading the text updates, the live stream video provided a more enhanced and personable way to present the breaking news, and offered a more unique experience in storytelling to the audience.

My second thought was on the cross-functionality of social media platforms. In this case, I could immediately see how the network and reach of Periscope was exponentially maximized with just a single tweet out via Twitter feed. Viewership in this example was quickly multiplied and contributed by pedestrian users and lurkers who saw the link, and clicked on it. People who followed @DallasPD Twitter feed might also had received notifications of the live-stream and accessed it on their smartphones, mobile device, etc.

Third, the interactivity of the Periscope tool had provided possibilities for the content owner/broadcaster to engage the audience, and vice versa. In the Dallas Police press conference example, we could see viewers offering their condolences, comments and "hearts" live during the broadcast. If designed as a webinar or conference presentation, audience could possibly interact, ask questions and provide feedback during the live event. Users of this tool can also measure the level of engagement that they had achieved with their audience by the number of "hearts" they received during the broadcast.

In conclusion, I feel that Periscope does offer many possibilities for a more creative way of telling stories, present contents or share breaking news. It is definitely a game-changer in the world of live-streaming, due to its easy to use functions, convenience and of course its cross-functionality with Twitter makes it an even more powerful tool than it seems in this new digital age.

Taking My PLN to the Next Level?

In this week, we explore the concept of Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), and how we can leverage on different online tools and resources for the purpose of either personal or professional development. My biggest takeaway from the Spark Presentation in this week's class is that an effective personal learning network must be specially curated and personalized to one's preferences and comfort level, regardless of the size of the network.

Looking at my own PLN, a big part of it do span a few of the major social networks that are popular in today's social media age, such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. Maintaining my channels of communications and connecting with friends, co-workers, professionals and other like-minded people through social messaging Apps or chat groups had also reinforced the efficiency of my PLN when I need information, crowd source for solutions, seek opinions or simply to have a discussion on an issue. In this course, I am also glad that we would be given the opportunity and flexibility to try out many interesting tools that could potentially take our PLNs to the next level.

One thing I had noticed is that the size of our PLNs to change from time to time. For instance, through engaging in our preferred communities, sharing valuable information and other social interactions, I learned how to build and manage a network that best serves my various interests. Over time, I also got to understand and select what is useful and what is not. Have you ever reach a point where you start to periodically review your Facebook's (or other social media platforms) contacts/links/pages and decide who or what remains? The number of contacts one has is an easy way to define the size of one's network. For example, the graph for my Facebook network over time would look something like this:

This is a simple graph that basically shows my Facebook network's (as defined by number of contacts) size over time. In the beginning, I had tried to expand my network as big as possible, but as time progresses, I learn to downsize (or rightsize) my network in an effort to streamline what proved to be useful for my consumption. Over time, I also went through a series of expansion and contraction in my network, as I engaged new people and new communities, but eventually I will reach a level that I am comfortable with.

Would your graph look somewhat similar to mine?

What is your approach to building your PLN, and do you use any other interesting tools to cultivate your PLN which you might want to share?

My Social Network Diagram

In this week's voicethread, Vanessa shared with us her Social Network Diagram, which I though was a very interesting and effective way to analyze one's degree of exposure on the social media space and areas where there might be context collapse. This has of course inspired me to look at mine, and this is how it looks like:

                                                                My Social Network Diagram

I think it is not surprising to see that Facebook forms the largest piece of my Social Network Diagram, and you could also say that it dominates the majority of my social media airtime. Being one of the earliest form of social network available in this digital age, I believe most people are connected via this platform, including myself who have families, friends, colleagues, classmates, past and present all in one huge network. Instagram, which totally overlaps with Facebook, forms the next piece of network that I belong to. Though not as big as Facebook, I think it is pretty sizable, and certainly increasing as I do frequently get "following requests" from people who are also within my Facebook network. Now Twitter, a network that I had purposefully set up for this course, is relatively small, and inevitably overlaps only a little with my Facebook network. Though I use Pinterest occasionally, I have not really connected with anyone via this platform, and that explains its isolation from the rest of the networks.

Well did you notice the two grey Snapchat and Periscope circles? Those are the new technologies that I may going to try this week, and potentially I can already see some overlaps there with my existing networks. 

So how does your Social Network Diagram look like? 

You may also have notice the green WhatsApp circle on the top right. Though WhatsApp is not really a social network, but a cross-platform mobile messaging app, I am inclined to put it there as I am a rather heavy user of this tool to connect and communicate with a lot of people. Who knows what the potential of this tool could be, considering that Facebook had just bought WhatsApp for $19 Billions not long ago? 

Networks Connect, Communities Care

One of this week's main topics is on Networks and Communities, and it has been extremely interesting for me as I delve deeper to look at the definitions and differences, and trying to draw out some of my personal experiences for examples. On first thought, "Networks" seem so much bigger than "Communities" in terms of sheer sizes. Networks to me are webs of connections, directories consisting of multiple nodes and links that help facilitates personal interactions and relationships. Communities on the other hand, are relatively smaller groups, comprising of people who are more connected at a personal level, sharing a common identity, and being involved and passionate for a common purpose. Based on this perspective, one can simply understand that networks connect, while communities care. Networks are collections of human resources, while communities are connections of human beings. Perhaps the graphics below can give you a better idea of what I mean. 

     

                                                         NETWORKS                                            COMMUNITIES
                               
A simple example of a network that I can illustrate would be the military organization that I work in; a huge web of personnel doing different jobs and serving in different capacities but with a common purpose. The people in this network may not know each other very well personally, but when the need arises for whatever (operational) reasons, contacts and linkages can be easily established through this network. Operating and thriving within this huge network are communities; smaller different groups of personnel who represent a more collective intention and purpose. For example, Infantry branch of Army is a community. The pilots of the Air Force has their own community. The logistics and engineering groups have their own communities. As a community, the people within communicate at a deeper level, and seek to collaborate more closely.

What I have discussed so far are offline examples of networks and communities. What about the networks and communities in the online spaces? I found this interesting graphics online which may provide some clues to what we need to know:

This illustration seems to suggest that (social) networks and communities that we can find in the online space are fundamentally different based on the "glue" that holds them together. For example, Facebook and LinkIn operate largely by connecting their members based on past, present and future relationships, while the social media tools on the right hand side operate as communities that thrive on shared interest that brings people together. What do you think of this delineation between networks and communities?

And also as evident from the above graphics, there seems to be an untapped space in the middle of the line; so do you think there is a middle ground where networks and communities on social media can co-exist as one to provide more value for consumers like us?

Does Social Media make an Experience Less Pure?

Today I came across a rather interesting article where the writer interviews two high-altitude climbers about their experiences and the controversial use of social media on their big climbs. The article is titled "Is Social Media On Big Climbs Destroying The Purist Experience In The Himalaya?", and is accessible via this link here. When asked if social media takes away the experience of climbing, this is their response:

"There seems to be a nostalgia that propagates the idea that climbing was somehow more pure before the social media world erupted. It’s the idea that climbers used to blast off into the great unknown only writing the sparing letter, and returning war-ragged with a harrowing tale. The implication is that the use of social media somehow makes the motivations less pure and that it pollutes the soul of the adventure. Fact is, most expeditions have always employed whatever means available during that specific era to tell the story in as near real-time as possible. When social didn’t exist, people didn’t have the option. They would use runners, then telegraph, then sat phone, then satellite internet, until now when you can have coverage in many areas of the Khumbu and some areas on the North side. It’s just part of the evolution of communication. But to imply not telling a story as it unfolds is somehow more soulful is both a misunderstanding of the evolution of adventure storytelling, and an over-indulgence in one’s own “importance.” We think not to share is far more selfish, and it’s high time we all stop taking ourselves so seriously."

Well, this certainly got me thinking deeper on the arguments for both sides, as well as how our lives today have been so connected to social media that it would almost be impossible to ignore or disregard the use of it. As pointed out by the writer, social media could arguably dilute the "pureness" of the true experience. Should people truly immerse themselves in a particular experience, or let social media "take over" their experience? It is very common to see people anxiously whipping out their smartphones, recording and posting on social media videos of firework displays, performances, shows and other experiences, instead of living in the moment and indulging in the real-time experience. But of course, from the consumer's perspective, one could hardly complain watching all these fascinating and beautiful personal sharings on social media and living vicariously through others' experiences.

From the perspective of the climbers, it is simply a case of the evolution of communication, where there is almost an entrenched sense of inter-connectedness and inter-dependency between the social media and the human element that necessitates the way we tell our stories in today's world. To share or not to share an experience on social media may also be based on personal reasons, and certainly would not be the most difficult decision to make in your lifetime, but it is kind of reassuring to know that social media is just a few clicks away if we ever need to use it to tell our stories.

Can Twitter Really Support Learning & Performance?

Just this week, I set up my first ever Twitter account for the purpose of this course, and am still getting used to the habit of tweeting and sharing relevant information and perspectives on the topics being discussed in the class. Well, we all know that structure drives behavior, right? Similarly, I believe that it could also be argued for the case of exploiting and utilizing social media tools to support learning and performance. I admit I was skeptical in the beginning, questioning how could a tool with a limited 140 characters possibly help me to foster a learning environment or experience? But as I played around more and got familiar with Twitter, I think this might actually work. To reinforce my beliefs, I looked up the internet, and indeed there are many resources out there to suggest how educators or professionals in this field could use Twitter to effect learning. Hence, I will summarize and share my perspectives in this post the ways we can harness the power of Twitter to support and enhance learning or performance.

1. Optimize your lists
Vanessa has shared in the class blog on how to create lists and separate our streams based on topics and interest. I shall also add that the key success factor is not just to create the lists, but to optimize the lists. From the perspective of supporting learners, lists done right could enhance classroom management, provide timely updates to learners, grow the learning communities, focus the conversations, direct learners to the right resources, content and materials, etc.

2. Encourage participation and sharing
Twitter should be a participatory experience; the more active learners are on the platform, the more engaging the experience and the learning they get out of it. Twitter is 24/7 and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. This provides enormous opportunity for instructors and learners to share valuable perspectives, ideas, thoughts, links and related resources without delay. This allows the learning experience to be more current and authentic as learners constantly draw connections and reflect on the different perspectives.

3. Use chats to facilitate discussions, track and follow the issues
Twitter chats could be a great synchronous tool to facilitate discussions and debate on issues, provide immediate feedback, allow learners to ask questions, participate in polls, etc. This process can certainly close the gaps and enhance the interactions between instructors and learners. The Twitter environment could also strengthen collaboration and understanding in the class, encouraging informal information exchange, a critical adjunct to structured learning events.

4. Twitter is "social" media, and it helps!
People like Twitter because it connects them to the society at large! Learners crave a sense of belonging to communities, and this is exactly what Twitter can provide; a personalized experience and unconstrained connections to areas of interest. When used appropriately, educators can certainly use the tool to support and help learners to accelerate their learning curves, optimized their learning experience and expand their "social" circles.