EdTech 543 Social Networking Final Reflection

I anticipate that the learning that will stick with me the longest came in module two. Developing a deeper understanding of communities of practice, connectivism, and personal learning networks is most closely connected to the work I care most about in education. It is not necessarily my role, but it helps drive conscious use of technology in my district. I am especially attracted to the ideas behind connectivism. I had been following Siemens and Downes on Twitter for some time, but was late to the party. Now I have greater context to help understand what I am reading.

I was pleased to see that the social media policy my district employs is solid. It holds hope for using social media tools in the future in my district. That said, social media use in schools is increasingly becoming sensitive. I am seeing more and more research examining the risks that the combination of social media and mobile device use present to children. As a parent of two girls of this generation, it is absolutely frightening. Kids are losing their way in digital worlds while adults remain ill-equipped to counsel and model an experience of adolescence they cannot relate to. Schools need to learn to value a deep examination of social-emotional impacts of technology use if school is to reflect the real world we expect them to succeed in. This should make a powerful argument for inquiry driven pedagogy where teachers are learning with students to solve these problems. Unfortunately, someone will have to decide which standards are not covered in order to make this a priority. I am not optimistic.

I think I have consistently made an effort to keep blogging for this course on topic while at the same time working to understand how it applies to my role and my personal interests in education. - 75/75

Crafting Social Media Policy

I used this assignment as an opportunity to craft a blog post that can be cross posted to the blog I use with my district. With my new appreciation for connected learning I wanted to examine existing policy against the framework suggested by Steven Anderson in Edutopia to ensure we are not missing a chance to improve. What follows is what I intend to post there:

Over the last ten years social media has been woven into most of our daily lives. Facebook now has over two billion active monthly users. Instagram has six hundred thousand users and Twitter has over three hundred thousand users. Considering this, one has to wonder how these tools are being integrated in the classroom. In a world where knowledge is quickly becoming measured by one's ability to connect quickly to the most appropriate resource for the problem at hand, we should seek to leverage these tools and engage students where they are.

So how might we reimagine how we use social media in Windsor Schools? How might we take advantage of the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls. The website Edutopia offers a useful framework for considering this question. Allow me to step through this process and include my perspective on each of the components. As always, I welcome and encourage your feedback.

Start by examining school culture. If I were to guess, our culture is ranging from reticent to connect with students using tools not specifically sanctioned for academic purposes in the absence of clarity on policy to teachers being actively discouraged to connect until the student has graduated. I am not aware of any teachers using these social networks for academic purposes in Windsor’s case.

The next step in the framework is to organize a team. Ideally our team would be comprised of teachers, community members, parents, and students across grade levels with a variety of social media fluencies, including those with little fluency. Our goal would be to open and transparent about process and decision making. A number of tools are available to us for collaboration. It might make sense to consider a private Facebook group.

In the research phase we will look at current policy and discuss how we think it might change. Social networking is addressed as part of our computer, network, and Internet policy. On this topic specifically, our language includes:

• The Superintendent or designee may gather and maintain information pertaining directly to school safety or student safety from the social media activity of any district student in accordance with Education Code 49073.6 and BP/AR5125
• The District respects the right of employees and students to responsibly use social media and networking sites, message boards and forums, as well as personal websites and blogs. Personal use of these sites should not damage the reputation of the WUSD, its employees, students or their families and should be consistent with the School District’s educational objectives, mission and curriculum.

Other items to consider from the computer, network and Internet policy that are relevant to social networking use include:

• Respects One's Self.  Users will select online names that are appropriate and will consider the information and images they post online.
• Respects Others.  Users will not use technologies to bully, tease or harass other people.  
• Protects One's Self and Others.  Users will protect themselves and others by reporting abuse and not forwarding inappropriate materials or communications.  
• Respects Intellectual Property. Users will cite any and all use of websites, books, media, etc.  
• Protects Intellectual Property.  Users will request to use the software and media others produce, as required by copyright laws.
• Transmission of any material in violation of any local, federal and state laws is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, licensed material and threatening or obscene material.  
• Users shall not use district technology to access, post, submit, publish, or display harmful or inappropriate matter that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, harassing, discriminatory, defamatory, intimidating, disruptive, threatening, sexually explicit, or unethical, or that promotes any activity prohibited by law, Board policy, or administrative regulations.
• Use of computing resources for commercial activities, product advertisement or religious or political lobbying is prohibited.  
• Users shall not share their assigned online services account information, passwords, or other information used for identification and authorization purposes, and shall use the system only under the account to which they have been assigned.
• Students shall not disclose, use, or disseminate personal identification information (such as name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, or other personal information) of another student, staff member, or other person with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, or ridicule that person.
• Users shall not "hack" into the system to manipulate data of the District or other users.
• Users may be held personally and financially responsible for malicious or intentional damage done to network software, data, user accounts, hardware and/or unauthorized costs incurred.  
• Use of electronic devices in school, regardless of ownership, should be consistent with the District’s educational objectives, mission and curriculum.
• Records maintained on any personal device or messages sent or received on a personal device that is being used to conduct district business may be subject to disclosure, pursuant to a subpoena or other lawful request.
• With classroom teacher approval, students may use their own devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, laptops) in the classroom to access and save information from the Internet, communicate with other learners and use the productivity tools loaded on their devices.

• Personal devices may only be connected to school networks for uses that are consistent with educational needs.

It will also be helpful to examine social media policies produced by other public school districts (example 1, example 2).

Once research has been completed we will be able to begin drafting a document that incorporates feedback. The draft document can easily be published on the District’s website

connected to a form for feedback collection. Once a final draft has been synthesized we can deliver copies to SCOE’s legal team and finally, the school board, for approval.

It will be important to support the new policy with communication and training that makes the initiative clear to all District stakeholders. Meetings at each site as well as one on one discussion with teachers who are either eager or afraid of the new policy may be appropriate. Everyone should be assured that the policy will be reviewed on a regular basis given the dynamic nature of new technologies.

Transparency with regard to the way that we use social media will allow students to learn in ways that are more meaningful, powerful, and more closely aligned to the type of learning the will be expected to apply in their work life.

References:

Anderson, S. (2012, May 7). How to create social media guidelines for your school. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/how-to-create-social-media-guidelines-school

Chaffey, D.  (2017, April 27). Global social media research summary 2017. Retrieved from http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/

MacMillan, A. (2017, May 25). Why instagram is the worst social media for mental health. Retrieved from: http://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/

Rheingold, H. (2012, January 23). Social media and peer learning: From mediated pedagogy to peeragogy. Retrieved from: https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/events/2012/social-media-and-peer-learning-mediated-pedagogy-peeragogy

Barriers to Connectivism

I have spent time looking into social media use in classroom instruction. The greatest takeaway from that exploration is the contrast between the value connectivist principles could offer and the barriers in place that prevent most teachers from leveraging that value.

Barriers span a range from understanding the value of connected learning to concerns about access to the Internet/devices to unclear or nonexistent policy about social media. The culture in some of the schools that I work in is deeply rooted in traditional pedagogy. Without instructional leadership they will continue to do what they have always done. Even new, young teachers who understand and value a connected world will fall in line in this culture. Additional concerns about access to devices at school and at home will deter those who understand and want to connect students online. This is an especially sensitive topic in districts with high percentages of economically disadvantaged learners. Those teachers who push past these initial barriers, will find that they are discouraged to continue due to administrative fears based on unclear or nonexistent policy on the topic. My district currently discourages teachers and students from connecting on social media. As long as these barriers are in place, it will be difficult for public school districts like my own to embrace what we have been calling 21st Century learning.

Live, Real-Time Professional Development

Over the last number of weeks I have rekindled my love for live, real-time professional development. Use of Twitter chats and webinars is something I once spent my free time with. Over time, though, I fell away from that practice. Now I am back on that train.

The first webinar I attended was conducted by Angela Watson and was dedicated to teacher self-care. She advised us to understand why it is important to take care of yourself and offered advice on how we can develop positive habits with practice. Next I spent time talking about Chromebook 101s with Jerry Swiatek. Working in IT I was already familiar with many of the items we discussed, but I was happy to hear about developments with GoogleCast. I think I was supportive in that I was able to answer questions to new users in the backchannel. Kim Munoz provided my next webinar that focused on Chrome web apps. There I heard about new Web 2.0 tools that can aid a variety of subjects in instruction. Highlights included the Biodynamic Human and Little Alchemy. Last, but not least, was Monica Burns' webinar on formative assessment tools for the Chromebook. We discussed a variety of tools that will be useful for teachers in my district. Tools that deserve more exploration as a result of this webinar include: Padlet, Kahoot, Nearpod, Seesaw, Today's Meet, and Adobe Spark.

The first Twitter chat I participated in was #CaEdChat. It was a small group as many are checked-out for summer. The topic was about how to get girls interested in STEM fields. As a father of two girls, I was happy to participate. I made a number of new connections and would be excited to connect further. There are so many good things happening in California, I relish the opportunity to learn more. I followed that chat with #FormativeChat. We touched on the value of formative assessment and moved into the strengthening student understanding by allowing students to teach. In #EdTechChat we had a lively conversation about tools that could be used for collaboration. Lots of new connections and good ideas in that chat. Finally, in #ResilienceChat we discussed the possibility of developing international connections to deepen student perspective.

As a result of participating in this professional development I have become reinvigorated to use the tools to my own and my team's benefit at work. Co-workers have already participated in some of the same webinars I did. I once again extol the benefits of Twitter chats and am making new connections in a state that is still new to me.

Personal Learning Environment Diagram

While reflecting on my personal learning environment I am reminded of its value as an aid to learning. Many of my peers had developed diagrams that used different types of cycles. Kristin Castello used circular arrows to connect four elements of her PLN. I love that Kim Johnson used a baseball diamond to give new meaning to hitting for the cycle. Kayden Tague's diagram can also be viewed in a circular manner.

I have related some of my earlier work to water and decided to continue with that trend. My diagram is based on the water cycle. I have a number of social networks where I can expand on my thoughts and take in the ideas of others to connect new ideas. With those new ideas they can be refined and made sense of through collaboration with others. That new understanding puts me in a place where I can develop learning resources that will permit me to share with others while continuing to add to my new understanding. Finally, with a certain level of expertise I can reflect with a blog to try and express a deeper understanding of this new content. That of coarse is fed back out to the social networks where the cycle continues. Life long learning is at our fingertips.

Comparisons:

• Kristen Castello impressed me with her willingness to get out of her comfort zone and find new communities. She also had four elements to her cycle, but her network is broader than my own.
• Kim Johnson posted her cyclical baseball diagram. She also had four elements that related to the 4-Cs. She has a very wide network that will serve her well in her instructional design role.
• Kayden Tague had another cyclical diagram that broke the elements of her PLN into four parts also. Her elements were also inspired by the 4-Cs. Rather than putting her tools into specific groups, her elements were between the groups. I thought that was an interesting way of looking at it.
• Josh Haines had four elements as part of his PLN as many others had. He, however, choose not to try and fit each element neatly into it's place. His diagram looks a bit chaotic as you try to follow it, but is actually closer to how I view the use of these tools in practice.
• Joanna Lieberman used cloud imagery to illustrate three elements for her PLN. She had many of the same tools as others, but included VoiceThread. That is a great tool I did not see anyone else list.
• Lindsay Hoyt used her Michigan roots to develop a diagram using five elements around the Great Lakes. She had many of the same apps as others. With an extra element, though, she divided tools in a way that provides a bit extra meaning.

Curation of Strategies and Tools for English Learners in Math

Technology can play an important role in helping math teachers work with students who are learning English. Developing an understanding of the strategies and tools among teachers as well as support staff would benefit these learners. With this in mind, I have begun curating resources on this topic. Find it here: http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-151

The Surveillance State vs Connectivism

We live in a time when use of a cell phone, email, and social networking accounts are simply part of life. It is possible to opt out of these tools, but the impact that would have on our ability to navigate this world is difficult to imagine for most.

About five years ago I happened across a radio interview with Bruce Schneier. Schneier is a cryptographer and cyber security expert that currently work with IBM, teaches at the Harvard Law School, and serves on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It was early in the morning and I would typically not have been predisposed to heavy content that early in the day. I was sucked in right away though. I was surprised how relevant it was to my work on technology in education. You can get a sense of the discussion I listened to by listening to a similar presentation recently made to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (minutes 27-58).

In the presentation I listened to (and in the conclusion of the video linked above) he described the way we use data today as comparable to the manner in which we treated garbage in the Industrial Age. That mental image has made me paranoid of oversharing. I do not want to be the guy that has his grandkids look back on my digital footprint to wonder why I was throwing virtual beer cans all over a beautiful community park. In researching my own name on a number of search engines I am not surprised to find little. Considering the nature of the work that I have done in technology and education over the last decade, I view that as a success.

In light of our current discussion around social networking and the curation of our online reputations, however, I am beginning to rethink my reticence to share. With a focus on positive interactions I will have more opportunities to leverage connectivist principles that will benefit myself and my work. By undersharing I am missing opportunities to refine. I can do better.