Social bookmarking sites are an excellent way to gain access to sites that have been book marked from virtually any computer. I intend to share this site with my colleagues because we frequently work together on collaborative writing projects. Using this tool can ensure that we have access to the same resources, to promote continuity in our perspectives. Furthermore, social bookmarking sites can help with sorting through the unwanted sites that are generated by regular search engines, and gain access to peer reviewed websites and articles that you can trust will be relevant and beneficial to the subject that you are researching.

This week, I have explored the pros and cons of various social networking sites for educational purposes. The technologies that I looked at are Ning, Facebook, and PBWorks.

Ning offers options such as blogs, video, photos, and discussion forums which are all beneficial to online learning environments. I like the ability to post before and after pictures in order to track progress. A string pro is the blogging feature, for users to discuss steps they are taking to meet a learning objective and what struggles they are facing. I can create discussion forums about topics, so that the learners can work out an issue together. I could easily use my Ning account to use all of these features, and encourage my Directors to work together as a team to conquer a new learning objective. We also use the Google site to post video trainings, and I could easily incorporate these videos into the Ning site. Ning does not have the ability that wikis do for learners to work together on the same project, like a wiki and there is not tracking features to monitor the learner's progress.

Facebook has several applications that are beneficial for online learning, such as Quiz Monster which allows the educator to create quizzes, share, and gather the answers. The post features allows for communication amongst learners. I also learned from one of my classmates that you can create narrated PowerPoints using Webinaria, which I can assume is vastly better than Adobe Presenter which is patchy at best. Facebook certainly fosters a community feeling. Ning is a private social network, but Facebook is a little crowded with users who are only there to be social. Facebook does not have the ability to hold a document library or the wiki function. Also, there is no ability to track participant progress,

PBWorks has the ability to create wiki pages where learners can collaborate on the same project by contributing directly to a single document. The PBWorks page provides activity tracking, so the educator can track student’s contributions. PBWorks also allows educator to upload documents and create meeting agendas. This site also allows the user to create sidebars to create hyperlinks and other navigation abilities. The instructor can also create specific meeting times for synchronous learning opportunities. Additionally, the instructor can control the access to this page, to prevent unwanted visitors from altering the page, which can be a normal con for wikis. There are also community pages where like-minded individuals can share ideas and thoughts. This site does not appear to have a quiz function, which would be highly beneficial for my needs.

PBWorks seems to be the best technology for my needs as a trainer. I can use this page to communicate with my colleagues on the training team for our collaborative writing projects. I can also use this site to create training course that promote critical thinking skills and interaction with new knowledge. I intend to use my page to create a critical thinking wiki, to help teachers understand the benefits of developmentally appropriate practices. I have also recommended the use of this technology to the Accreditation Department, to help with schools that are going through national accreditation programs

Privacy and the Internet

I have a Facebook page. I opened it originally so that I could view applicants pages when I was making a hiring decision, as a preschool Director. My thought was, "If I can see it, than my parents can see it." In retrospect, I was looking at someone's private life that had nothing to do with their ability to their job. But the fact of the matter is that a teacher's social and professional life have some blurred lines. What a parent sees a teacher do outside of work will affect their trust and opinion of the teacher at work. It is unfortunate, but it is a fact of life. Having a parent see something inappropriate on a social networking site, is the new "getting seen at the bar". It is up to the teachers to recognize this ability to be seen, and take precautions to prevent the airing of their dirty laundry. Using the privacy settings that are available on these sites is a good step.
On a side note, having access to all of my teacher's profiles was beneficial for our school community. It was very easy to take temperature checks of my staff and see how they were feeling about their job, or be aware of personal issues that were affecting their work. I was able to give these teachers the attention that they needed from a leader, lend an ear or a shoulder, and determine what approach I would take to a necessary coaching. I was able to build very strong bonds with my staff, and there was definite trust between us. I also used my Facebook posts to share kind words, inspirational quotes, and sometimes just a much needed pat on the back. Social network sites definitely support the building of a community.
Now that I have promoted in my company, I have 'un-friended' my old staff and co-workers. Working for the HR department made me realize that it would be better if I just didn't know. I also did not want to risk writing something that they shouldn't know either. Suddenly, Facebook had become lonely. However, there are many educational applications to this site, that I intend to become acclimated to and discover the new uses of social networking sites.