Just as I am about to leave for Outward Bound and revisit my life before e-connections, I am thinking about my cyberconnectivity. Facebook, LinkedIn, What'sApp, Texting, Email, Phone, Skype, are not enough. Now, I have Twitter and Diigo accounts. Is there an end in sight or will I, like a sheep, always be signing on to the latest, greatest idea to keep me in the know about anything and everything there is? Is the need to be connected an obsession, soon to be included in the DSM of Mental Disorders? Or, even worse, is it already included and I missed the tweet?
The social media available today serves several purposes and can be parsed into several different categories, some overlapping. For example, Twitter falls under the category of blogs/microblogs; YouTube is a content community; Facebook is an example of a social network; Diigo, while not content, is a source for content, but is also a collaborative project in a way, like Wikipedia. Using any of these apps on your cell phone creates "mobile" media, so theoretically, you can plan your day so that you are never out of the loop.
As a teacher of middle schoolers, I realize that being current and connected is smart. I view it as part of the cultural currency necessary to understand the world in which my students (and many others) are engaged. But, I am on the periphery, an introvert who is interested in these tools much more as social phenomena than as extensions of my social self. I crave quiet reflection.
My classroom, however, is not about me; it's about my students. So when I read on www.buzzfeed.com about a teacher who was using Twitter to help teach grammar, I was intrigued. It turns out that the students, who are learning English, correct the grammar in Tweets posted by a celebrity they follow. Later this year, I will be trying something similar in my English class for grammar and editing practice. We might translate text messages, too, followed by robust discussions about the evolution of our language. I will keep you posted!
By the way, here's the Diigo account for Middle School English. Julie, Diane. and I are slowly putting in links that we find useful.
https://www.diigo.com
Username: aspmsenglishdept
Password: English (capital E)
Please check out the other bons mots de mes Biches who are renowned for their erudition, charm, and mad skills.
Username: aspmsenglishdept
Password: English (capital E)
Please check out the other bons mots de mes Biches who are renowned for their erudition, charm, and mad skills.
