Category: Networks
The Internet in Society
After the recent successes in Scotland by the SNP in using social media tools and the internet as part of their historic re-election, this lecture by Evgeny Morozov is an interesting exploration of the wider debate around society and the internet.
Does the internet actually inhibit, not encourage democracy? In this new RSA Animate adapted from a talk given in 2009, Evgeny Morozov presents an alternative take on ‘cyber-utopianism’ – the seductive idea that the internet plays a largely emancipatory role in global politics.
Exposing some idealistic myths about freedom and technology (during Iran’s ‘twitter revolution’ fewer than 20,000 Twitter users actually took part), Evgeny argues for some realism about the actual uses and abuses of the internet.
Morozov refers to the much debated distinction between the digital native and the immigrant, but suggests we should be focusing on the differences between digital renegades and digital captives. This is an interesting point that refers to the filtered and restricted use of digital tools in some countries compared to those more freely using the tools in others.
A healthy reminder of the relative openness we have in our digital lives compared to other parts of the world.
Don’t Just Tweet, Create Something!
I have been fortunate enough to see many resources created by the thousands of willing educators using Twitter. However in my opinion there is a strong case for using hashtagging more systematically, so that we better organise and structure the resources, ideas and thoughts we all have.
A Twitter hashtag uses this symbol # folllowed by a unique word, abbreviation, acronym or phrase that defines the subject or theme of the tweet it is included in. It is a great way to filter and organise tweets so they are easily found by your network.
Simply put, the more we use tagging the easier it will be to find the most relevant tweets that share resources and advice etc.
One example of a resource created using hashtags is the sentence starter tweets I began under the tags #sentstartdecisions and #sentstarttree. I wanted to gather together ideas for sentence starters that can be used in the classroom. Each tag is specific to a topic or theme that gives other teachers a little bit of a focus for their contributions.
They have proven really successful, with nearly 100 contributions for just these two tags – a great resource for the classroom, to inspire planning and to engage young writers. However the tweets are not that useful as they are – indeed there is also the retweets that use the hashtag, so it is mildly littered with less than useful tweets. I have taken all of the sentence starters and created separate Google Docs presentations with them, a sentence starter per slide. I suspect that in this form it is more useful and accessible to teachers and students.
(Please feel free to edit the above presentations and add your ideas)
In fact by using the Twitter hashtag I have in effect added a step in the process. The Interesting Ways series is so successful because when users contribute they archive and extend a version of the presentation itself – there is no middle man, well there is me and I often add ideas on behalf of people, but there is no middle step, you add your idea and that’s it. Using a hashtag and then having to generate a presentation from that tag before it’s Twitter lifespan runs out is time consuming. (Tweets will eventually not appear in a hashtag search)
On the other hand, adding a sentence starter idea via Twitter is less clicks for a teacher using Twitter – they don’t have to go to Google Docs, add the slide etc. So it is easier to do it there and then and add the hashtag. In fact some school children were contributing with their teachers this week.
I believe it is important we encourage the alacritous members of our network in some form of creation. Whichever way you gather the ideas engage them in creation as much as conversation.
If Fish Were Ideas
Pete and Chris, an assistant head teacher and a newly qualified teacher, enjoyed sharing ideas for learning with me. But it was when I showed them Twitter and where to find future ideas that they saw the potential of online networks.
Give a teacher an idea and you spark an interest for a week. Lead a teacher to a community and they will have ideas for a lifetime.
Whispering Change
Is the sun beginning to set on a cumbersome educational landscape? One that is too rigid to quickly adjust to what leaners need and what they want from the future. A system that looks on as grass roots spread wider and wider beneath it.
I am in revolutionary mood as I return from some inspiring conversations with people at #BectaX.
Can those of us who recognise the need for change, rise above the cynicism? Rise above the barriers and the blocks. Let us be determined and positive, and make change happen in small ways, where we are, where we can.
Perhaps it is wrong of us to ever have believed this change will occur from policy. I am sure you are like me in that you have never waited for policy to define your practice. Each of us has a certain amount of influence, an ability to change 1 or 5, 30 or even 500 students’ experiences of school. If we believe it should be done, we need to make it happen in every small way we can.
I have stood in a room with hundreds of people whispering. It is very loud.
If we all make a small contribution, a small effort of change – if we all whisper, our voices will be heard. Here are some whispers:
- Talk to your students, to your classes about technology. Find out how they use it at home and what they enjoy. Plan to do it again soon.
- Take what you find out (formally or informally) to someone else in your institute. Better still get your students to explain it.
- Show someone how you use Twitter or other online tools to connect with teachers. Do it as often as you can.
- Write a blog post about your ideas. (Or even start a blog for your ideas!) Share your experiences, frustrations, successes and hopes for your work.
- Share an interesting blog post you have seen with someone who may never see it.
- Ask on your blog or on Twitter for other schools to connect with. Share the process with your class and give them an insight into what is happening at schools in other countries.
- Help someone on Twitter by retweeting a request for assistance. You never know where that ripple will stop.
- Let your children or students teach you how to use something.
- Find ways to help parents better understand what you do in school and how their children are using technology.
- Find out what your students think of blocking websites. What do they think is “safe” internet use.
- Consider managing your own internet filtering. At least have the conversation.
- Ask your local authority to unblock useful websites. Keep asking.
Whatever form your whisper takes, raise your voices. We are louder together.
IMG_9566.JPG by fabola – Attr-NonCom-NoDerivs Lic