One Time for Technology

Since my last post I talked about some complaints and hiccups about technology, I figured I'd reflect on some more positives.

For example, currently, I"m sitting on my laptop hooked up to a thunderbolt in an office across town, fully functional as a type away.  My email is up, my office phone is forwarded to my cell.  Many staff members are experiencing the same.  The video texted to me last night showing a waterfall cascading through a building and leaving office components unusable for the next fews days, and photographs of the area as pieces were covered moved to prevent damage are on phones as evidence of the experience.  Others were communicated with and news spread quickly to get things taken care of.

And we keep going. And we can because of technology, and some of the tools that allow communities and networks to come together, to travel and move, to be in various places and still communicate effectively.

I may not physically see too many people today, but think of how productive I can be!

Working the Kinks Out...

Today I participated in an online module, the first of a few in the next few weeks that I will be participating in.  It was done through Google hangouts, and there were two academics giving the presentation, with grad students monitoring the Google questions, Facebook questions, and Twitter questions.

My favorite part was under the screen, there was a thumbs up and down button, and it was tracked across the bottom of the screen, increasing or decreasing when the academics said something people liked.  Of course, you know my love of google, when I hit the "green thumbs up button" a little yellow smiley popped up and there was applause.  I'm assuming not at the presenter, but it amused me none-the-less.

I mostly participated in the conversation on Twitter, folks really weren't engaging on Facebook, and there were just too many questions and complaints about technical difficulties on the Google Hangout for it to be an effective space.  Twitter also seemed like the venue where there was the most community happening - through the favoriting and retweets and getting others not at the presentation (Which, why not, it was free), to at least see some of the glimmers.

In reflection, I'm glad I'm participating, but often when people said "enjoyed the conversation", I struggled.  What conversation?  We heard some awesome smart people talk, showed folks what our favorite parts were, and highlighted the things that really resonated with us individually, but did we have a conversation?  Or did we just watch a conversation unfold?

In reflection, though, I just took a class with hundreds of people across the country, where some really smart people shared some information, I didn't pay for it, and also did some work while listening and getting a little inspiration.  Yes, there were some technical issues and it seemed like some people really struggled with getting connected, but, overall, pretty cool.

Still not required?

I appreciated the Goodyear, Casey, & Kirk (2014) article "Tweet me, message me, like me: using social media to facilitate pedagogical change within an emerging community of practice" because, one, that is basically my produsage project (phew!) and, two, I think that higher education and student affairs has been doing this in a lot of ways, and was interested to see what the study on teachers would reveal.  

Professional higher education and student affairs associations (I'll use ACPA because I'm a bit more familiar and have been a part of the organization's decision-making conversations) have been adapting to using more Web 2.0 engagement components to build community for a little bit of time now.  Present on all mediums, engaging in the creation of an online mentoring connection program, were starters, but really focusing on what Goodyear, Casey, & Kirk (2014) discussed in terms of the "financial and time implications" that impact teachers from being able to work together, is also found at the collegiate administrator level (p. 1).  Enter video-recorded convention speakers, teams dedicated to blogging and posting/managing the Twitter fall, live-streaming of educational events, video information posted on a regular basis (http://videos.myacpa.org/home) and, most recently, a hybrid model of one day conference with Skype sessions and satellite conversations this September- http://www.myacpa.org/events/2015-presidential-symposium-fulfilling-our-promises-students-fostering-and-demonstrating.   Kind of cool services that a membership to the Association make available without the hassles of leaving the office, traveling, and the cost of attending; and while that has ramifications for the Association's bottom line, lets focus on how more people are getting the opportunity to learn and participate in a very digital way. Cool.

Tied to that are also folks in the field and their social media personalities - communicating on a variety of the spaces that we have indicated throughout the class. All good stuff, keeping the conversation going, engaging people with others who do the same work they do, helping knowledge and learning happen outside of their institution (or, for the article's sake, classroom or school).

I was totally on board with the article, until towards the end, "It was ineffective as a means of support for the two non-users.  Consequently, as a community we need to ensure we empower and facilitate practitioners to develop their practice without alienating those who don't want to engage with social media" (p. 14-15).  I immediately scrolled up to the top of the article, convinced that such a statement must have been written a decade ago.  To my chagrin, just last year it was published.

And, so now, I'm at a place of struggle.  I have been the person that didn't want to engage in social media and Web 2.0 tools.  I'm still not in love with video conferences and RSS blogs and I think Wikis are kind of ugly and not how I want to spend my time online.  But I realize that the nature of my work, and the nature of the world in which we live in, requires online presence, knowledge, participation, and engagement.  And yet I know that not everyone is there yet.

So, I wonder, when will technology tools that create opportunity for learning and engagement stop being apologized for and simply become part of the fabrication of the work that happens every day?

----
Goodyear, V. A., Casey, A., & Kirk, D. (2014). Tweet me, message me, like me: using social media to facilitate pedagogical change within an emerging community of practice. Sport, Education and Society, 1-17.

Evening the Playing Field?

An article from the New York Times has been circling all over my social networks today, about "RBF" or "resting bitch face."  If you haven't seen it, it is actually an interesting (and pretty true) read, with a link to a pretty funny buzzfeed, but an honest commentary on some societal sexism and "outrage" that has been created by famous (but also basically all) women not smiling all of the time, and getting called out for looking mean (I'll just leave it at that for Web 2.0 class, but there is much more to say about all that).  Check it out here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/fashion/im-not-mad-thats-just-my-resting-b-face.html?_r=0.

It got me thinking about how we represent ourselves in Web 2.0. While on a class discussion board we were talking about some privilege pieces tied to not posting on Wikipedia (not feeling like an expert, feeling like an impostor, concerned we didn't have all the information correct, etc), I'm wondering if Web 2.0 also provides a venue to actually post more.

Obviously, the ability to be anonymous, or to create a different online identity has it's perks, one of which could be participating in conversations and communities that may have been limiting in personal conversations.  The online pseudonym is like the new age version of some pen names seen in old literature (the Bronte sisters would be so proud).

Whether using a pseudonym or not, most Web 2.0 allows for barriers to exist in communication circles, even within those communities where people are active.  If a concern is resting face, or formulating thoughts, or getting interrupted, or not being listened to due to a variety of (messed up) social constructions, Web 2.0 could create some leveling of the playing field...

Does Web 2.0 take away some initial judgment and assumptions that are created during face-to-face communication?  Do people feel more comfortable communicating via technological methods then face-to-face in some settings?

Are You In It for the Money?

So this blogging thing...

When I was working on my curation project, I learned a little bit about how people blog for money, and then use Pinterest to drive people to their blog.  Interesting, I thought, but kind of left it alone, besides wondering if that was why some of the blogs I was seeing had similar advertisements on all the pages.

And then, my silly (I say that, but I'm the one blogging about it because I read the whole thing, so, there is that) Costco Connection came in the mail this week, and the cover story was about some women who blog..."Building a Blogging Business."  Apparently, in addition to blog advertisements, people also make money from sponsored posts, and for some (yes, mostly white women and moms) who now blog for income, going from a couple hundred, to a couple thousand, to you know, millions of viewers, selling products from their blogs, spending time writing about food, business, parenting, and paying off debt. 

Even today, my Twitter feed led me to a post about tips on how to drive more people to your blog or your business: http://www.postplanner.com/bloggers-clueless-about-key-blog-post-ingredients/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=twitter.com.

So, interesting, turning possible pastimes into income, perhaps a Web 2.0 version of your traditional flea market or craft fair... just spreading ideas more than physical pieces?

As I contemplate this possible end to my day job (I mean, hey, I have a blog now at least, that seems like a good first step), I'm also grappling with the idea of community in Web 2.0, which I feel like has been the bulk of our class conversation.  Making money off of communities you create online does sound intriguing... and also that it could have the potential for some delightfully capitalist ugliness.  Hmmm...

What do you think?

Collaborative Community Learning

I set out with this post to reflect upon one of the class articles, but in the introduction paragraph, I got stuck on this sentence:

"Web 2.0 is currently understood in various ways, but generally regarded as the new knowledge transferring agent promising to serve as an effective learning community environment particularly enabling dynamic collaborative learning and group reflection processes" 

(Kim, Hong, Bonk, Lim, 2009).  

We've chatted in one of the discussion boards about social media for news and information, and how that has even been true within our communities.  But the sentence above made me think about the larger collective that participates in web 2.0, how the conversation engages and changes, the possibilities of that dialogue, and power and voice that web 2.0 creates in, often, a less controlled environment.

Just shy of one year from the events that occurred in Ferguson last summer, I was reminded of how web 2.0, and social media played such a role in the conversation, knowledge being shared, reflection of individuals and communities, and often, in some of the first pieces, it was web 2.0, particularly blogs and tweets and video, that were shaping that dynamic collaborative learning component in ways I'm not sure we have seen.  

This link for a CNN article tells a little bit more about how the story unfolded, looking particularly at Twitter: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/us/ferguson-social-media-injustice/.

More recently, a video of a similar case was distributed through technology, but also through much more systematic means in the indictment of the police officer who killed Sam DuBose.  While the outrage surrounding the case didn't come from Web 2.0, on Web 2.0 the conversation continued, the hashtag began, the dialogue was shared.  The personal and heartfelt reflections shared on my Facebook Newsfeed and Twitter fall again reminded me of this quote.  It also made me wonder if such outcry for the video stemmed through the information we have become accustomed to having at our fingertips via Web 2.0.  Is media, perhaps the old "knowledge transferring agent" learning from Web 2.0?  Is it simply competition?

What are other ways we have seen Web 2.0, even in this class or in everyday life, living up to this definition?  What are you seeing through your networks?

--- 

Kim, P., Hong, J., Bonk, C., & Lim, G. (2011).  "Effects of group reflection variations in project-based learning integrated in a Web 2.0 learning space." Interactive Learning Environments, 19(4). p. 33-349. 

When World's Collide

I was excited for the Barry Wellman guest online lecture this week, and, even with the technical difficulties, appreciated the anecdotal stories that went along with his slides and told a story like only he could.   

And then, this evening, I decided to take a look back at the slides, and found this gem: 

Photo Credit: Barry Wellman, "The New Social Operating System: The Impact of Networked Technologies on Community, Family & Work." www.chass.utoronto.ca/~well

I don't know if I just missed it when watching the webinar, or perhaps just wasn't in the headspace at the time I was watching, but sitting here on a Saturday night knee deep in qualitative and quantitative data, all I could do was laugh and enthusiastically yell "YES."

Yes, lets stop looking for proof and start looking at everything that is changing and happening.  Yes, lets come to terms with the obviousness of our personalized networks and how differently we are now connected (loosely or not) to others in a more global sense.  Yes, lets start having more conversations about things like this (free access to internet in San Francisco) and continue to think about moving forward with regards to how the tools of web 2.0 and technology help us.  

It is a conversation that has evolved, but hasn't peaked, in higher education.  I still hear far more concern about students looking down at devices, contacting parents too often, sharing things too anonymously (or not), not being able to have personal conversations, or do research, or respond in more than 140 characters... or...

I think these are valid concerns, some of which I share, some of which, by nature of when the web became "a thing" in my life, I have moved past.  And while I think it truly is a shame students today don't have the opportunity to learn the art of expressing themselves through angsty AIM away messages or perhaps staying up all night due to a riveting game of Snood (seriously though), I do think we have the opportunity to think about how tools can make us better educators (as we are learning about in this class), not only in the tools that are out there, but in the tools that students are using everyday.  I've talked about how we can do more in terms of digital capital and student learning through Twitter here (shameless plug), and even made it a requirement for discussion (much to a few moans) in courses I've taught, but know there are so many more opportunities available. 

I wonder, too, who is truly utilizing Web 2.0 to help with additional student services, from assessment and admissions to internships and resumes.  (And beyond the college level, what is being looked at in K-12, because if nothing else, those Google Maps for Education are pretty darn nifty!)

In just a few short weeks, we've learned of probably half a dozen things that I've never heard of to continue or support learning, how can we best transition these into our colleges and classrooms to create seamless learning experiences, using new tools, and teaching our digital natives (Crook, 2012) effective strategies not necessarily learned through on-the-app participation?  

--

Crook, C. (2012). The 'digital native' in context: tensions associated with importing Web 2.0 practices into the school setting. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 63-80. 

Rainie, L. & Wellman, B. (2013). Networked: The new social operating system. Boston, MA: MIT Press. 

Wellman, B. (2015).  "The New Social Operating System: The Impact of Networked Technologies on Community, Family & Work" Webcast Lecture for Florida State University.  www.chass.utoronto.ca/~well

Creating for Knowledge Sharing: 7 Layer Dip

For class, I've been putting together a collection of some of my favorite recipes on Pinterest.

I love cooking, and food, and cooking food, particularly when I can make more whole or organic foods taste better than a restaurant or a store, so I felt like this would be a good, and perhaps even relaxing, way to do a class assignment. While a little stressful at first, it has been fun to store everything in one place, making sure I'm picking up recipes from their original source, looking for others ideas through the blogs that I link to, and generally learning things in a new way.  Particularly for recipes I've borrowed (and then changed up), it has been an interesting way to share information without taking credit for it, which has always been one of my hesitancies about starting just a blog about food.

Through all that sharing, though, there are some things that I just make, or old family traditional recipes I follow that aren't quite the same on someone else's blog or in some website's recipe box.  So I figured, as a I final component for my project, I'd create some knowledge for the sharing project. Enter... dMo's 7 Layer Dip.

Photo Credit: My iPhone

I've been making 7 Layer Dip since I was a little girl (like really, in third grade we had to do a demonstration and I made 7 Layer Dip in front of the class), and can't remember a gathering, holiday, birthday, and most recently, sporting event without it (I promise, it is pretty amazing).  In fact, sometimes I know my friends invite me solely for the dip (but seriously).  I'd like to think that over the 20+ years, I've gotten pretty good at it and picked up some fun tricks along the way.  So this is how I'm making 7 Layer Dip in my thirties (I've put the avocado back in, thanks to my grown-up taste buds, whatever was I thinking as a child), which is almost nutritious, pretty to look at, and super tasty! I'm particular about my ingredients but make it how you like! 

Ingredients (for an 8x8 pan):

• 1 can Refried Beans (regular, low-fat, no-fat, organic, all cool - I usually use a low/non-fat thats gluten free too)
• Guacamole (3-4 fresh avocados, a little onion, garlic, salt, lime, salsa, a ton of cilantro, just use a knife or fork to smash - if you have to do store bought - Wholly Guacamole is the only way to go)
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• 1 16 oz container of sour cream (it must be regular sour cream, or Trader Joe's Simply Fat Free Sour Cream, regular stores low/non fat mess everything up)
• 2 cups-ish of shredded cheddar cheese (rBST free and grated fresh if you can)
• 2 firm tomatoes (roma, beefsteak, whatevs, just not cherry or grape), diced 
• 1 small can of olives, sliced (or buy organic and slice them yourself
• The green parts of a green onion, sliced small
• Lil bit of chili powder (or if you have it, taco seasoning)

After you have all those things, it is pretty easy.  Put the can of beans in your dish, cold, add the salsa.  Stir around to well mixed and a nice flat layer, have a napkin handy to keep the lines clean if you are using a glass pan like mine.  Put in the fridge.

Then make your guac, or really, just the avocado and cilantro, everything else will come together nicely.  Leave in chunky, so people know it is made out of real avocados and isn't just some green sour cream, but not so chunky it will break all the chips.  Get your sour cream, add a little chili powder into it and stir around (always stir sour cream before doing anything with it).  The sour cream should have little specks of seasoning but not look burnt orange.

Grab your pan of beans out of the fridge, and get to layering.  Guac goes first, a few scoops in key locations help with a nice even spread.  Clean your edges then do the same with the sour cream (you may have leftover sour cream), and use your napkin to clean the edge of the pan. The important thing is to make sure the sour cream covers the guacamole so that it doesn't turn color and stays nice and green without any preservatives.  Make sure you clean the sides.

If your cheese is grated, add it now.  If not, put the dip back in the fridge and get your other toppings together.  I like to cut the tomatoes where a I cut the cilantro, and maybe add a little few specks for flavor (if you are one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap: 1, I'm sorry, 2. you could also use parsley for this part).  Cut all your veggies and start again.

Time to get to sprinkling with your fingers.  Cheese goes on like a nice little layer.  Then tomatoes, because they are prettiest and the best and you have a lot of them.  Then the olives. nice contrast.  Finally, just add the green onion for a little pop of additional color.

You can eat it right away (desperate times...), but if you chill it and let everything set it tastes better.  Serve with tortilla chips, although I have some friends that swear it tastes better with ridgy potato chips, and a spoon.  Check out those layers! 

Photo credit: My iPhone

As I continue to contemplate a new blogging experience for myself, or perhaps, just tomorrow's studying snack... let me know what you think!

dMo's Musings Blogspot by Danielle Morgan Acosta is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This Might Not Be So Bad Afterall..

Initially when we had the blog requirement, I feel like most of us were a little stressed, or a little, umm, hmm, ok.

In preparing this weekend's project, I thought I'd take a look at the analytics for my blog.  What you are now ready is my 15th blog post.... who knew I could up with so many things to say, a few of which, gasped, even garnered responses and discussions!  It has been interesting reading other's blogs, somewhat like listening to a discussion point in class, but then, also, a little more reflective and sometimes, perhaps, purposeful?

The analytics told me there have been over 350 views of this blog.  Which I guess, since I'm not really sharing it with anyone but who is in class, is pretty nifty.  Interesting to think about your voice in a different conversation.  Or who the readers may be.  Also has given me a different frame of reference when I'm reading other's blogs or posts. What voice do people hear when reading through, what additional components are shaped through their perception of the post?  Fun and interesting things to ponder!

Are others enjoying? Struggling to make those Sunday deadlines?  What are the pros and cons to your blogging experience?

Contemplating Quora

In checking out this week's resources and readings, I came across Quora.  A question-and-answer website, isn't that just google?

I was intrigued so thought I would dig a little more, of course, the first thing it asked me to do was log in.  All these communities that require you to sign-in to them!  It is starting to feel like an attendance sheet that goes around class!

As a Google aficionado, I was still skeptical, and while signing in to help create community I understand, I wasn't totally sold! So I decided to do some digging.  I checked out the website some more and learned, surprise surprise, the company is located in the Silicon Valley (ahh, home, where the produce is grown down the street and everything is gorgeous and perfect, besides having no water), and after finding this Wikipedia page (it seemed fitting for this week's resources), found out that it was founded by two former Facebook employees and has technically been around since 2009/2010!  There were a few other interesting pieces on it, like it runs logarithms, just like everyone else I guess, so that you see things once you've asked questions, or up voted different questions or answers based on what you have done in the past.  You are required to use your real name (not a screen name),  or your Facebook, Twitter, or email account, so folks know who you are.

I will say I had a good laugh when I clicked around on Wikipedia's list of other q&a websites - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Q%26A_sites.  Poor ole' Jeeve has gotten left out of Ask.com, and I was reminded when former students of mine were super excited (and getting paid, if I remember correctly), asking questions via text message and websites on ChaCha (they loved saying it, thought it was so fun, Cha-Cha!), and contemplated if I ever had actually seen a beneficial answer on Yahoo Questions. Like, really, ever.

But still, I'm back to this dilemma about logging in.  Do I want to join another community, perhaps just to explore it?  Do I have the time to structure the questions I want to ask, to like people's responses, to respond myself? Do I link it to my Twitter account (usually my go to because it is a little less personal than gmail or Facebook account), or should I try to remember another password?   Can a question answering site fit some need in my life that Google doesn't?  Will they give me doodles?!?!

Is anyone else feeling this?  Is someone loving Quora that can tell me what it gives you you don't get elsewhere? Are you finding a good way to manage all the tools to your advantage? Let me know!

What Do You Share?

There's a lot of information that we share everyday in our web 2.0 communities, and a lot of things, come to think of it, after taking this class, that are now accessed and tied to my Twitter account.

Osatuyi (2013) breaks down types of things shared through social media into four categories, that really made sense to me:

• personal/sensitive information (life updates)
• sensational information (breaking news, celebrity events, sports)
• political information (thoughts on the govt, candidates, debates and decisions)
• casual information (low-stakes information with friends and colleagues) 

I'd argue most of what I post in most of my networks focus on the sensational and political, I watch a lot of professional sporting events (and have been fortunate my favorite teams have been doing well), and strive to stay politically and socially active, with perhaps more personal information posted on Facebook.  You can really become a part of a bigger conversation through the sensational and political information being shared, and often times, to some of the casual information as well.  I think you could probably add in a more educational component to the list of information being shared, although you could also tie that to casual information.  

I appreciated the findings in Osatuyi (2013) with regards to the the social exchange theory, as when I was reading it, and saw the citations from the 1960s, I was concerned that there is a shift now in how we think about the information that we share.  I notice that still there are times that I "evaluate the cost and benefit information" before sharing, but am not convinced that is the case, especially for the generation that has grown up with web 2.0 always a part of their life (Osatuyi, 2013, p. 2624).   

I know that when first logging onto Facebook eleven years ago, I was keenly aware of the information I was putting out there or what the social media persona may be.  But I have to admit as I've gotten older, or perhaps just more accustomed to my Social Media identity (and probably a little more comfortable in my identity altogether), and web 2.0 has continued to evolve, I probably think less at the macro level about what and how I post and share.  Politically and professionally, particularly in work settings or meetings or through social media debates and discussions, I'm more aware of the conversations and the roles I want to have in them, the perceptions of statements, the ability to truly express the whole thought in 140 characters.  Yet at other times, sharing online is simply an extension of sharing with my closest friends and family, many of which I mostly connect with through web 2.0.  

Did you think a category or type of sharing was missing from Ostatuyi's (2013) categories?  How do you share and why do you share in any one of the 4 categories?  How do you educate students about their data and sharing?  How do you encourage students and yourself to nurture your Social Media identity?

---

Osatuyi, B. (2013).  “Information sharing on social media sites.” Computers in Human Behavior, 29.  pp.2622-2631.

Reyman, J. (2013).  “User data on the social web: Authorship, agency, and appropriation.” College English, 75(5), pp. 513-533.

I'm Pinning!

Okay, so, as has been noted other places, I haven't liked Pinterest in the past. I just, really, honestly I felt like my google image searches were better and cleaner and loved that didn't have to log in (Really, there could be a variety of posts dedicated to just how much I love Google... so stick around for that!). I love pictures, it was tied to my Facebook account, so I was like, okay here we go.

But, as with most things with social media, I'm pretty sure the first time around, I wasn't really "doing it right." I got that there were boards and it was kind of scrap-booky, inspiration type boards, but a few times clicking on some pins only to find the recipe or the proper link or whatnot left me frustrated and disenchanted (and now, I'm fully acknowledging that I too had posted pictures with none of that information).  So, after clicking on some of the links in the resources, an joining the group back up, and actually understanding some things you can do with Pinterest, I figured I'd give it another go around for one of our projects for this class.

Ahh, when we know how to use things and what they can do, we are so much more prepared!  I read some online articles about how companies are using Pinterest and pins, and how all these people apparently make money on their blogs and an in turn how they generate more information and funds through their boards.  I found some boards, like this one, https://www.pinterest.com/iheartnaptime/best-of-pinterest/, where apparently a whole bunch of people all post and there are rules about how much you can post and putting no spam or advertisements or a variety of other things.  Talk about creating a community!

I set up analytics for my Pinterest and now (well, not yet, but I'm guessing soon), I can track what people are viewing when and where and all that fun stuff.  Which is great for the class project, but also somewhat cool regardless.

The education shares and connections are pretty cool.  It has also given me a platform to highlight things I use or want to use, while easily being able to give credit to the creator or generator of that information.  I even figured out how to create a widget and advertise my boards on this page --->.

So what about all of you?  Any social media tools out there you just can't stand?  Any that you've gotten a crash course in and now are able to use for helpful purposes? In the education setting, or as you prepare for the big project in this class, how do you or will you teach students about tools before asking them to use them?

Applied Web 2.0!

I was talking with a colleague yesterday, and they were sharing how they often feel like they don't have time or opportunity to engage in dialogue with others that share expertise with them... that they wished they had more time to focus on the topic (education/activism of a particular group) because it is changing so often, but in the daily run of the mill activities and work expectations, they aren't able to keep up.  They talked about knowing that there was so much information out there, and some people doing things really well, but that often instead of staying ahead of things or having one place to go, they feel forced to wait until someone has a question and then they go on a search to see if they can answer it...

Enter Web 2.0 class!  I was like, "perhaps you need to think about a PLN," (what on earth am I talking about, really).  I don't think I totally butchered the content (although, one can never be sure), but I was like, you could put "some blogs and websites and smart people that talk about things regarding these topics and basically have them there so that once a day or every couple days you could take a look and have all the information in one place and you can highlight and make sticky notes and..."  I didn't talk about the sharing out pieces too because I thought that had been overwhelming, but even as I type I'm thinking about the opportunities to share with the other folks doing this work on and off campus, and that as people leave some of the tools from the PLN could continue, because you could share those resources!

So, look at that!  I've sent them some information and links from class and now they are super excited and had no idea before (I also sent the direct links and gave total credit to this class because I had just watched that intellectual property VoiceThread and was thinking about all the things in the field that are shared and what that looks like).  PLNs still kind of stress me out, but this was a practical thing that came in handy, and totally makes sense.

Yay!

"MUST HAVE" Websites...

This link was floating around on some students' social media posts this morning: http://www.srtrends.com/websites-college-students-need-to-know/ .

A little different than some of the web 2.0 tools we've been discussing in class, but as you scroll down, there are a few more that actually can be educational in nature, or great life tools, others may just be some networks that people would want to connect with.

I recently had a student talk to me about using something like "Keep Me Out," to limit their social media usage (full disclosure: they also told me they had found a work around so that it actually didn't do that, so I'm not sure how beneficial it is, or if we just need to self-regulate when we have things to focus on or when we know we can multi-task), but, interesting all the same!

What tools would be on your list?  What would you develop that may not even be out there?

An epidemic?

"The basic argument is that community is falling part because internet use has led people to lose contact with authentic in-person relationships as they become ensnared online in weak simulacra of reality" (Raine & Wellman, p. 118).

The chapter doesn't focus on this hysteria-ridden sentence (rather does focus on rebuking it, thanks to those fabulous Pew Researchers), but it was on of the first that stuck out at me, and before I could finish reading contemplated how not true it was.  As someone who moved completely across the country fourteen years ago, and then again to a southern-tip just 3.5 ago, the disregard for the authentic conversations and personal relationships that can take place online, especially, but not always, after being built in person threw out red flags!  In college my peers and I often wondered if we would have been able to make such drastic moves without technology, and that was talking about flip-phones and limited number of texts per month!

Now, my closest friends live on polar opposites sides of me, and the only form of communication that truly impacts us comes from web 2.0 technology.  For some that looks more personal - we have skype conversations - for others our Facebook messages or Gchats suffice.  I have former students, thousands of miles away, that solely communicate with me through technology - some of those conversations may not be highly-in-depth, others look like a counseling-through-text-message conversation.  And on the flip-side, a great friend who has disconnected from web 2.0 technologies... I have to not only make the effort to connect with, but also am missing interesting points where a group of us are connecting collectively.

Making a few drastic moves, and connecting with folks at different points and different opportunities in my life, have made things like my Facebook feed fall into a variety of categories at any given moment (although I'm still thinking about if I really have almost 700 ties, and what those look like).  Raine & Wellman claim "The larger the network, the more health benefits," (p. 132), and in many ways I can see that being true.  At any moment, I can feel connected within my network (taking away the loose social ties, even), to people from around the country, sometimes internationally, who may hold a connection with me, but who I solely also only communicate with via web 2.0 technologies.

So, do you agree... the more folks on networks the merrier?  Do you fall into the average of connections for an individual online?  How do you disconnect in order to be better while connected?

Total side note, the book cites how Pope Benedict XVI would occasionally tweet... he had nothing on Pope Francis, who is not only challenging and speaking in a new voice, but is totally also publicizing in means of communication he thinks people will see and connect too!

Personal Learning Networks..Systematizing our Randomness?

A few days ago, I received the following text, "I reattached the chain in my chainsaw after watching a youtube video.  #acostawayofdoingit."  I guess I've developed a reputation of figuring out home do it yourself projects through watching videos and doing some google searching to figure out what needs to happen and the best way to do it...particularly on things I've never done before, but sometimes to get a refresher, or make sure we've been doing something all along correctly. It came in handy after purchasing a home and tends to be one of our go to uses for web 2.0 these days.

I thought about this while watching Professor Dennen's videos on the PLNs.  I had never heard of a PLN, and appreciate the repetition of PLNs reflecting "personal needs, available time, preferred tools" because at this point, I'm not convinced I have the time to develop a PLN that would be as helpful to me as I may like, or have a focus of a network that would help me, but also as I go through my days and think about the things I look to Web 2.0 to assist me in, I could see it become very helpful and beneficial in the future.  There often may be times I go back to particular places online... a recipe on a blog I've used a few times, one of those videos mentioned above, or a good idea for a home project that may be in the future, but isn't totally on the radar. Having all these things in one place, basically your personalized version of web 2.0, allows for so focus, and if you include things that have good content, you may create a more closely-tied network with the individuals behind those tools as you continue communicating with them.

What I think is great about the descriptions and concepts surrounding PLNs is that it seems to combine a variety of tools to meet people where they are at.  Similarly, in thinking about PLNs with regards to nodes of information with the person in the middle, I think we see that outside of the web 2.0 world as well (the graphic representation reminded me of a birthday party where friends of different groups one is a part of all attend... you look around the table and realize, I'm the only connector here!).  One of the criticisms I often have about technology is that some people tend to talk about it like it is separate for our own selves, in this class we are really delving into how it is a tool, not a completely different world in which we operate within, but an extension in how we project and connect.  I think that helps us think about how it can be used to benefit us and with us as the driver, not necessarily just a participant, or our technology use and knowledge. I love this concept: "You work forward from your own personal needs."

The four key activities, "following, communicating, curating, sharing", for example, are pretty broad-based actions, and I'd argue things that we do in personal or work relationships and networking, among many other things.  I think a PLN would be something that could be super beneficial and lead to more connected communication and relationships over web 2.0... Are there any folks out there who use PLNs or have created ones that feel like you see some of these pieces coming into play?  Which of the four key activities are the easiest/hardest to continue?

Side note, the "Tools for PLNs" presentation, really the breakdown of all the web 2.0 pieces, should be a requirement for students entering college (or really maybe anyone before they get on the internet, LOL) - superhelpful!

Subtweeting...Who Knew?

I certainly didn't!  When participating in one of my online communities this week, a conversation began about subtweeting.  What, was a subtweet.  I imagined like tabs and bullet pointed outline or something.  But people seemed really angry about these subtweets.

Which, after doing some digging, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Subtweet, perhaps they should be?

So interesting!  Have you learned any new nuances on the social media tools you have been using that made you go... HMMM....???

Finding Voice in the Overwhelmed

I've been lurking, it sounds kind of creepy to say, but I have been. I have been reading blogs, have my two online communities for our class paper up on my screen as much of the day I can stand, checking out our class backchannel, thinking about the virtual communities that we populate every day, some without really knowing.  And, there is a lot of stuff!

But I'm also an introvert, who spent the weekend entertaining, and reading all this knowledge sharing has been putting my brain into overload!  The things to say, the things to not say, how to contribute knowledge to the virtual communities!

Perhaps that is why professional conference hashtags get so much use - while Dennen (2011) suggests that most interactions don't seem to be closely connected and tied, and can be shallow, they exist none the less.  People, sitting in meetings, sharing information, tweeting about upcoming events or quotes they find impactful, feel as if the conversation components are worthwhile to share.  I know professional conferences I attend put # use, looking for the number of tweets and users and connections; have teams designated to streamlining and energizing people; and folks following looking for concerns and issues.  (And then charging stations, because of all of those devices fighting for the same network space to tweet drains those batteries).  I've always found, however, that a lot of that information, as Dennen (2011) points out, helps those not at the conference connect to the learning and feel included (which opens up a string of other things to discuss for big organizations that rely on that funding).

What I like about thinking about conference conversations on Twitter is the focus of it on a tool.  If it is communication, or broadcast, of conference experiences, how else can we use it to facilitate, endorse, or showcase learning?

---
Dennen, V. P. (2011). Conversations on the hashtag: Does conference Twitter use promote professional discourse? Paper presented at International Conference on the e-Society. Berlin: Germany. [PDF] 

"Many meet their social, emotional, and economic needs by tapping to sparsely knit networks of diverse associates rather than relying on tight connections to a relatively small number of core associates" (Rainie & Wellman, 2014).

It is somewhat funny, though not surprising, that since this class officially began I've been acutely aware of my web 2.0 and social media participation, how that looks, and what that means.  This weekend my partner's sister was visiting for the Fourth of July, and we used that as an opportunity to make lots of food and do some fun things around town, like a mini-staycation.

But, so often a phone or tablet was near me when doing these things... I Googled for recipes for foods I've never made, or foods I've made before, picking and choosing through a variety of blogs and websites to come up with how I would make a particular dish or how I could make it just a little differently. I made a family recipe dessert, but after calling my godmother, was directed to a YouTube video that showed how to create the layers correct.  I have an Instagram account where I mostly post photos of food (my too-lazy-not-enough-time-to-create-a-food-blog instagram), where I showcased some of this weekend's meals and shared recipes when people thought something looked good.  I followed the weather through apps on my phone, and found out about thunderstorm warnings (and, thankfully for my fireworks-loving-self when they were lifted) from communicating via the Tallahassee Parks Twitter Handle.  And when in doubt over the holiday and during sporting events shared in conversations with friends and family on opposite edges of the country.

Within all of these, my loose and tight networks were always near me, often educating my thoughts or helping me share my ideas.  My "networked operating system" (Rainie & Wellman, 2014, p. 9) gave me opportunity and knowledge, constantly informing my opinion, serving as my outlet, and creating my community. It was, and is, an ever present piece of my personal - and professional - life.

While reading the Sunday paper this morning, I started thinking not only about the "awesomeness" and opportunity of these connections, but also how we must be careful as to not allow this to limit our worldview.  The newspaper, for example, makes sure I see things I might not have in the bubble of my own little world, especially a world filled with biased cable news channels, DVR to fast forward through commercials and local commentaries we may not want to hear, the ability to frame what it is I want to see, hear, and participate in.  For example, I can't remember the last time I was in my car listening to local radio - the music on my phone or my commercial free Pandora station limits the need, and perhaps also the connection, that these mediums have forced in the past.

Web 2.0 and social media, as Professor Dennen stated, provides us an "all you care to eat buffet," but what happens when we limit what we care to eat to only what those things we want to hear, think, or believe?  In a world where you choose who you follow, can defriend those who might not agree with you, and where the internet programs advertisements you see to things that you already like, how do you ensure that your social networks aren't creating a bubble?  I have a few things we've started to do, but I'm interested in others ideas or thoughts on this.  How do you utilize social media tools so that you are not only getting the information you like, but also being challenged in your thinking and ideas, being exposed to new concepts, and learning everyday (or perhaps picking up something new and unique at that buffet)?

GroupMe... A Study In Community?

In thinking about the communities we will be tracking and some of the readings for this week, as well as the notifications on my phone, I began to think about GroupMe and the connections and conversations that occur there.

At first, I debated the "social media-ness" of GroupMe.  It is an App, and it is basically just a group text message (which, side note, remember when you couldn't have group text messages?).  There aren't ways, at least to my limited knowledge, to just join a random group of people or have conversations with "strangers" in the same way as you would on Twitter or something.  For the most part, you invite people to join your group, and text them like you would anyone else.

The difference, then, would be that again you create an identity within GroupMe.  You have your profile picture, the name of the group is also created, as well as a picture for that.  Each GroupMe conversation shares members, a gallery of artwork or memes that have been posted by members, you can add calendar events that sync with other calendars you share and GroupMe showcases the most popular posts in the conversation too.

I first joined a GroupMe in 2013 to have a good way to communicate directly with the students involved in planning Black History Month on campus.  I had seen students charging phones by noon due to their GroupMe activity, so was concerned to what I was getting into, but found with a manageable bunch of folks information is conveyed quickly and effectively, there are ways to acknowledge information is seen and received, and concrete ways to have conversations when everyone isn't in the same place.  I now have active GroupMes with the Executive Boards of all the groups that I advise, and have used in other professional settings as well.

It has been particularly interesting in the All Agency GroupMe, which they have creatively named.  The Directors and Assistant Directors of all the six student unions, as well as the Vice President, join in through this group.  The group functions to share information and ask questions, and I mostly lurk, tending to post just a few reminders or respond to questions when no one else does (or when I'm tagged and directly called out!).  What is most interesting is the community, dialogue, jokes, and engagement happening with this group, particularly as they have formed through their involvements with other organizations but also joined together.  It is clear that they are not only sharing information and engaging in conversations, but also becoming part of the group, relating and learning from each other, talking and acknowledging their intersectionality, and while not all of the thirteen participate in the same way, there is some participation from all of them.

This seems to be like a web 2.0 community, engaging online and through their phones (and if they don't download the App, through text message, although it seems like that would be overwhelming) and furthering the connections and bonds they have with each other through this networking and social connection.  I think it will be interesting to see how the group develops - both through community social media constructs and also through the group development models.  Perhaps they are more tightly creating bonds that have existed, or perhaps, the connection through the GroupMe allows them to interact and converse in ways they wouldn't face-to-face.

Here's an article that explains GroupMe a little bit more too: http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/9212/1031/Your_Real_Life_Network_How_GroupMe_Lets_You_Create#.VZVpwlVVhBc

Came across this article this morning: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jillcastellano/2015/06/22/social-media-is-the-new-battle-ground-for-college-binge-drinking/2/.

Appreciate particularly the beginning of the article that highlights some positive ways that colleges and universities can use social media - it focuses more on a knowledge/announcement tool and less as a learning tool, but at least starts the conversation.  The data we can get, really quite easily, from social media is always an interesting assessment component for me, in many cases it is like real-time primary sources of what people are thinking and doing.  While we know that students' (because that is basically always my focus), may develop online personalities and identities (just like some folks in this class), the information being put out there, viewed, or commented on, also can provide some easily accessible information gathering, and when thinking about students as a whole, may also create touch points that didn't exist in the past.

Speaking of the identity components, some folks in higher ed are looking at students' digital identities and how they are developed.  Within student affairs, I've seen two emerging (although I'm sure there are others):

https://pweaton.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/viewing-digital-spaces-through-bronfenbrenners-ecological-model/

http://paulgordonbrown.com/2014/06/23/applying-bronfenbrenners-student-development-theory-to-college-students-social-media/

Both use Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, but social media in slightly different contexts, thinking about how our online communities influence learning, growth, and connection!

First blog post for Web2.0 class, or, ever.

Thought it would be interesting to share this free and online opportunity coming out from Penn State's Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education - http://www.eventbrite.com/e/penn-equity-institute-for-doctoral-students-tickets-17559651390.  Shaun Harper was here in February talking about this, and it is such an interesting way to think about delivering content and engaging in conversation in Higher Ed!  In a lot of ways it is just a series of webinars (but free, as I think most webinars should be), but Harper has put together a pretty fantastic group of folks and modules, and creating a different way to engage in dialogue and learning about the topic.

I registered for a few of them because of the context and the caliber of speakers and panelists - it is almost like going to a conference!  I've also never used the Blue Jeans platform, so that will be a new experience too!

It will intriguing to see how they happen and what the feedback is, especially if they end up playing a role in shaping higher education or additional learning opportunities in the future!