I like to visualize ideas so I'm including a photo representation of my current participation in social networking. I'm enjoying the view. In observation, I see a lot of people around me that I know and don't know participating in social networking. It's interesting to me. I wonder about the person walking in front of me so engaged in this other world that they don't even realize I'm there. Do I really feel it is some mysterious other world? Not really, I don't feel intimidated by it. It's not the shy kid at the party or the player waiting to get in the game. Actually, this is an arena that a shy person could excel in and a level playing field for all really. This is my impression. While I love the competition of a football game or any other competitive sport, I also love teamwork. In other words, I love to collaborate. Isn't social networking about collaboration? Isn't that what other educational professionals are doing when they engage in social networking professionally?
Actually, the above description is my impression prior to this past summer. This past summer, Edmodo found me or I found Edmodo. I signed up. I attended some conferences and I engaged with other educators from around the world. It was wonderful! Social networking through Edmodo allowed me to be back in the game from our rural home. At one conference, educators were sharing how they were using web 2.0 tools. I took notes. I went online and played with these tools. For a creative and visual person, all this new learning and technology sparked an interest. This interest led me to look for classes in educational technology. Now I am taking my first educational technology class. This all happened because of social networking.
Professionally, I plan on staying engaged with Edmodo and using it with my students in the future. It is a social networking tool that is helping me stay current on what's going on in education and engage with some pretty creative educators. I think engaging in other social networking opportunities will expand my knowledge base and help keep me stay current on what is relevant in education. This will increase the efficiency of my work flow. Prior to this time, I wasted a lot of time searching online for new ideas and current information. This was not a good system for managing my workflow.
Outside of the world of technology, I would describe myself as very organized both in my personal and professional life. Other people who know me would agree. When it came to managing new technology and using it to make my life more efficient, I felt frustrated. Organized people or people who are good at managing workflow don't waste time with tools that don't contribute to efficiency in our lives. However, we do recognize when there is potential in using a tool. What had happened from the start of my career wherein I had used every available technology as a resource up until now? Not through choice, I had been sidelined. I wanted to get back in the game. I decided the fastest way to do so was through social networking. Again, a willingness to use ever availabe resource and the most effiecient path.
Personally, I think social networking can keep me better connected to people in my life. I noticed on Linked In that my brother and a teacher that I met at a conference were there waiting to connect. My weakness in managing my work flow has been to use the extra time I have created through efficiency to try to pack more into my life. I now monitor and allow for down time in my personal life and this has benefited my professional life.
I think my peers use social networking both professionally and personally. I think this benefits and adds quality to their lives. I think this is true for students as well. I think it opens up a larger world that is not restricted by geography. However, I worry about the impact of students being less active and participating less in other hobbies. Perhaps this is my limited view, maybe they are more engaged because of this social networking. Still, it is unsafe to be lost in this world while driving a car. I worry about cyber-bullying but bullying exists outside of this "other world" also. In ending, social networking is broadening my view. I no longer feel as though I'm viewing the world from a small plane, but rather jet setting around the world! It's exciting!
