I was lucky enough to be present at a presentation from Tom Scott (@tomscott) today at Bournemouth University, where he used the following as part of his demonstration of the possibilities for Social Network(ing) – “Looking at social media in a very different way”:

Recorded at TedX Sheffield in 2010, Tom uses real-world examples of what has happened in different situations around the world, and puts them together to demonstrate how close we are (or how easy it is) to a riot (topical?).

We are already doing so much that has implications beyond  our current understanding of ‘online behaviour’, all Tom has done here is join some dots as to one possible outcome of one little action, and the way in which it can escalate, be misinterpreted, and grow out of control.

Makes you think? It did me.

Tom’s website is http://www.tomscott.com/

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I’ve been fascinated by the ideas of a Personal Learning Network (PLN) for ages now, pretty much ever since I first heard about it.

Perhaps this is why Steve Wheeler’s (is that @timbuckteeth or @stevewheeler? But that’s another story) latest blog post made me think long and hard about it again. The images/slides below are from Joyce Seitzinger’s (@catspyjamasnz) “Professional Learning Environment (PLN) model” presented recently in Melbourne, Australia.

Click the images above to read Steve’s original post on the sildes, as presented by Joyce.

It is important to note that the tools listed in the ‘deisgn’ slide are not the recommended tools but rather an indication of what ‘could’ be used, and that you insert your own personal preferences for each segment.

So, what do you think … does it strike a chord for you like it did for me.

PS. here is my PLN that I ‘devised’ back in December 2009:

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I’ve met a few people recently both locally in Bournemouth and at Conferences around the country and it’s been really great to put faces to names and avatars. But no one knows what I look like when we’re looking for each other in coffee shops or crowded conference rooms.

So, while I like my avatar it might be time I re-think my online ‘presence’ and not hide (?) behind an avatar any longer. What do you think? As I have some trusted friends and acquaintances on various Social Networks I thought I’d put a few suggestions out there and see what you think. There are a couple of variations on my existing avatar as well as a few new ‘photos’ to choose from. This is also an opportunity to bring my various profiles into line with each other.

Come on then, what do you think? If you like my current avatar then please choose the first image/option, this is effectively the ‘leave it alone, it’s fine’ answer.

If you have another (polite) suggestion then please leave a comment.

PS. Yes, I must be mad to let you help me out, but why not, it is after all what you look at when you see my Twitter or Facebook updates!

PPS. If I don’t like your choice, will I still honour it … I don’t know, let’s see how we do eh?

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I found this Infographic this morning and it kind of resonated with me and some thoughts I’ve been having recently about using alternative systems for student interaction (not replacing the VLE, but ‘enhancing’ the student experience).

While I like this and what it is trying to say, surely Facebook and indeed any system is going to make the student ‘better’ based only on how it is used, not what it can do? Therefore it is ‘our’ responsibility to introduce and set up the system (Facebook, Twitter, etc) in a way that will engage and enhance the learning experience? Please leave a comment below if you agree or disagree, or just what to comment on the general implication of social media on student lives.

Click image to enlarge.
More from OnlineEducation.net

Related posts:

1. Adding Facebook and Twitter to student participation
2. Facebook tips for Educators
3. Twitter & Facebook use by Russell Group Universities

“The Use of Social Media in Higher Education for Marketing and
Communications: A Guide for Professionals in Higher Education”
by Rachel Reuben

This guide is worthy of more than just a re-tweet this morning, so I’ve linked it here.

And for those not interested in reading the whole report (shame on you!) here are a couple of choice quotes from Rachel;

“What if we opened up courses for student reviews on our site? New students would be able to view reviews on classes when trying to make their selections, especially for general education courses. Courses with great reviews will likely receive higher enrollments, without any additional cost to market these classes. Administrators would likely worry about the classes that would receive poor reviews – but whether you enable this feature or not, these conversations are happening elsewhere, likely on sites you have no control over.”

“Social media comprises of activities that involve socializing and networking online through words, pictures and videos. Social media is redefining how we relate to each other as humans and how we as humans relate to the organizations that serve us. It is about dialog – two way discussions bringing people together to discover and share information.”

Admittedly the guide is slightly old now, written in 2008, it talks about “the two most popular social networking communities are Facebook and MySpace” which we know is not the case as it is Facebook or Twitter now (reports of 10 million users leaving MySpace a month have been seen recently) but it should not be discounted just because of it’s age. We may be better at thinking and using Social Media than we were three years ago, and the world of Social Media and Social Networks have changed with Smart Phones and Tablets allowing us to be more mobile with “when and where” activities, but we all have a responsibility to check and re-check our online activity, individually or as an organisation.

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As I browse through the web I often find content and posts that are really really good. Many of them I Tweet about (@hopkinsdavid) and some I think are so good I want to ‘preserve’ by adding to my blog.

This is one of them.

I have done a fair amount of reading and research around the use of Social Media and Social Networks by students that this will not come as any surprise to my loyal readers that the cartoon below, created by Flea Palmer, called “Facing the consequences… a social networking horror story!”

Enjoy … and it’s best viewed full-screen.

This is what Flea says about the cartoon:

“The storyboard (above) was created using the excellent Toonlet, a free ‘web comic blogging’ tool, although I confess I cheated and also modified some of the panels using Photoshop.”

I have started looking at Toonlet and will let you know how I get on in a later post, but so far it’s looking fun.

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There have been a few instances in the news recently where employers are asking for access to an employees social media account, specifically the password for a Facebook account.

The conversation started recently when the Baltimore Sun, among others, reported that a “corrections officer [prison warden] from Baltimore says he was required to provide his Facebook password when he reapplied for his former job, and had to watch as his personal page and its postings were perused by an investigator.”

Not exactly the usual request any one us would think of having made of us when we’re reapplying for our post but, as Rhonda Callow questions in her blog post Should your employer be able to ask for your Facebook password?;

“The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services claimed that the practice was simply intended to help identify applicants with criminal affiliations or connections.”

Indeed, many would agree this is an honest request made with honest intentions … especially in light of the story I found last year, when preparing my safety in Social Media, of the prison warden who was fired because he was found to have ‘inappropriate” friendships on Facebook, “associating with serving and former prisoners, outside the course of his employment and without authority”.

Rhonda comments on the latest story by saying that the problem is that …

“… in most countries, Canada included, legislation has failed to keep pace with technology. We have rules that prevent potential employers from asking questions that would enable them to discriminate on grounds of race, religion, etc., etc., but there is absolutely nothing to prevent them from asking to peek at our social media accounts. And, in my opinion, it’s very clearly something that employers should not be able to do. Sure, you could refuse to comply with the request. The risk, however, is that it could result in you being perceived as uncooperative or – worse – as having something to hide.”

While we may not have anything to hide, why should we feel bad or even guilty at refusing this request? There are many commentaries being made on the subject, on blogs and in the national/international media, here are few of the ‘choice’ quotes more directed at the morality/legality of the request, and whether we should hand over the ‘key’ to our accounts:

“Should employers Google the names of prospective employees and perhaps check out their public Facebook and Twitter profiles? For many white collar jobs, I think that’s reasonable. But accessing private information seems out of bounds.”
Want A Job: Give Us Your Facebook Password – Outside the Beltaway

“No matter what job someone is applying for, you don’t need the potential or actual employee’s social network log in details in order to do background checks that would satisfy such investigation. I can see no right for any organization to require login access to someone’s Facebook account a prerequisite for employment.”
Should your employer have access to your Facebook account? – Neville Hobson

Back in 2009 this question was already raising it’s ugly head, as the CNN SciTechBlog post Want a job? Hand over your Facebook password reveals:

“That’s what’s happened to applicants for jobs with the city of Bozeman, Montana, who were surprised to discover they needed more than a work history and references. Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.,” reads a background-check waiver form that applicants had to sign. (There’s no mention of Twitter.) The form then contains three lines where applicants are to list their logins and passwords.”

In the above example the public backlash “led city officials to reconsider. After a closed-door meeting Friday, Bozeman officials suspended the practice, according to several Montana media outlets – who first announced the news on Twitter.”

So, another question, and this one is for all you lawyers out there … what do you do if your employer asks for these details? Are you duty bound to hand them over, or can you politely say “I would be happy to assist you but I need to clarify/quantify / check the legality of  the request before I let you have them?” Anyone, please?

While we’re on the subject … what about parents who want to look after their children online? is it ‘right’ for them to snoop or even steal passwords in order to monitor their Facebook or other social network websites? According to the New Jersey Police Chief (as reported on Gizmodo website) we should be using “keystroke-recording software on their computers so you can figure out their Facebook password. Then you can presumably snoop and poke around as much as you want. He claims that the software is very easy to install and that “your children don’t know it’s there”".”

I think that this will come back an bite a few parents in the end, right about when the teenager starts to rebel against anything they can find .. and you’ve just given them a really really good excuse for them to not trust you.

Do you have any stories about being asked for your login details by an employer or potential employer? If so, please reply below (anonymously if you like?).

Image Source

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Here are two excellent reports on the (Institutional) use of Twitter and Facebook by the Russell Group Universities;

• Institutional Use of Twitter by Russell Group Universities
• Use of Facebook by Russell Group Universities

What I take from these two posts and the lists/stats that have been collected is that there does not seem to be a uniform approach to the way the social media are being used. Are Universities using these tools because they think they ‘have’ to in order to be seen as progressive, modern, interested, social, etc, or is there a well-defined and implemented strategy behind the decision? I fear  it is more likely to be the former than the latter.

What do you think? Do you run/maintain an ‘official’ channel?

Many thanks to Brian Kelly (@briankelly) for the posts and analysis of results.

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I’ve been pondering whether or not to get a Kindle since I heard about the latest wifi or 3G version … so long in fact that both my parents have now passed me and got one each! I may not have such a device, but I have shown them how to connect them to their home wireless broadband and download books.

I am still unsure as to if, not when, I will get a Kindle. My reason is that I have installed the Kindle app for my iPhone and can download and read Kindle books like that, as well as link it the the Whispersync system and read them on my laptop (should I wish). I am toying with an iPad, which will also use the Kindle for iPhone app, therefore continue my reading in this medium … which is where a tablet eReader will outperform an eInk one. Let me explain.

This thought first came to me from my work and reading around the use of QR Codes in education, where a QR Code is displayed in the paper-version of the academic textbook so the student can find online video or web links of the content / theory / etc the chapter or page is currently explaining. What if this is ported to non-fiction and fiction books as well? You could have an interactive version of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days” where you could:

• link to maps of the city where the characters have just arrived (ancient as well as current maps, Google maps anyone?),
• images and video of the different areas where they find themselves,
• video clips of film version of the book (1956 & 2004, as well as Michael Palin’s BBC adventure in 1989),
• link to explanations of language and dialects that may be difficult to understand their meaning

Well, why not?

Here’s a few suggestions for the kind of content I see in something like ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ :

[View as Slideshow]

For new books it would be harder to be written without a back-up team generating and finding the copyright to the various different digital elements you wanted to use, and for the publication of older books (like the Around the World in 80 Days’ I downloaded for free) would be costly for not much return … but just think what it could do for the younger readers, it could really bring a story alive, in the original text (not cut-down film version), in a more modern & multi-media way.

If the above is already being done then please elt me know as I have not found anything like it … if it isn’t being done yet then you know where you heard from first (here and in an answer on Quora I made earlier this week!).

Update: May 6th, 2011

This is the kind of thing I was talking about in the original post here – a ‘new’ eBook standard demonstrated by PushPopPress;

Al Gore’s Our Choice Guided Tour from Push Pop Press on Vimeo.

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It is really hard to keep up with the new ‘must-have’ websites and social networks you ought to be involved with at the moment, and 2011 is going to see a whole heap of new ones, as well as existing ones really take off.

The first I just can’t get away from (this week) is called ‘Quora‘, and is effectively a simple question-and-answer site.

“Whatever your question, type it in the search box and, if there isn’t already an answer there, users will pile in and attempt to answer it. Information is organised more like Wikipedia than Google, with answers prioritised by how useful they are, but the site uses Twitter-style following to track the best contributors.”
From the Guardian UK website.

While the comparison to WikiAnswers and Yahoo Answers is not unkind or unfounded,  the possible advantage of Quora is that you are expected to use your real name and even link it to Facebook or Twitter accounts (which is really easy to do as you can sign in with your Facebook or Twitter user accounts, which will need authorising through the respective API methods) and Quora is also benefiting from the fact that its rivals have largely abandoned people-based question-and-answer systems.

You want to see it in action, here is a short video explaining it better than I can …

The interface is clean, uncluttered (at the moment), and easy to find your way around:

Click to enlarge

Quora is also being touted as a scene-stealing platform that will mean the end to blogging and the like (according to TechCrunch anyway) … but we’ll wait and see on that, I’m sure many will have something to say about that (on their blogs no doubt!).

But what of using Quora in learning and teaching? In an effort to find out about this I asked Google “quora in education” and … low and behold, I got a result of the same question posted to Quora – “Would Quora be a good learning tool for middle- and high-school students?” which has the following (edited) items that the author of the question/post thinks are good for education:

• Quora promotes the creation and access of knowledge beyond the classroom. Quora allows students and researchers to access an entire community of “teachers” for different interests (like other social networks, but perhaps more directly)
• Quora can connect students with different communities of mentors and knowledge-owners.
• Quora is currently very intellectual and thoughtful, and also fairly prompt – curious students can post questions and receive good answers very quickly.

But we must also recognise any potential pitfalls in such a system; can we trust the authors not to ‘mess’ with each other and post stupid questions … ? One author that commented on the question said how his 6 year old had him post a question on Quora and the “excitement of seeing other people post great answers quickly … makes learning and curiosity feel like a game.”

Quora is still very new and very small (in comparison) and has yet to reach the critical mass that will really see how well it could be used in education, but it’s potential is certainly there. It’s one I’ll keep an eye on .. what about you?

PS.  Here is a resource list for you in my Delicious bookmarks on, or about, Quora (while Delicious still works and I still use it!)

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