:: The 4th Era ::

 By Andrew Marcinek

 

From the blog:

 

Students get it. They understand how easy it is to connect with one another, but don't fully realize the greater potential. As educators, we have all benefited greatly from our personal learning network or critical friends group. Some of us have garnered a job, found great content area resources, or tuned in to a conference. But are we transferring that potential to our students? And if so, are we giving them the proper guidance to travel down these varied paths?

There is no denying that students see the potential in using social media, but are they really using it to their advantage? A colleague of mine shared with me a sentiment one of her students said this past week. The student said, "Could you check my Facebook profile, I want to make sure it is appropriate for colleges to view." Eureka! One student gets it, however this sentiment while encouraging to any teacher, is not using social media networks to their full potential. It is only scratching the surface. In short, it’s like hearing, "What do I need to know for the test?"

Via Ana Cristina Pratas, Kent Wallén