Share Connect And Change
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This document discusses the use of social network technology in education, specifically for Indigenous students, and promotes the development of personal learning networks (PLNs) in both education and arts contexts. It introduces tools such as blogging and Twitter as effective means for sharing experiences and fostering connections among communities. The author encourages users to overcome their apprehensions about technology and emphasizes the importance of communication and collaboration in building supportive networks.
![Connecting through Twitter
An Organised Tweet
One way to connect through Twitter is through organised TweetChats.
Tweetchats use the hashtag rule to organise tweets on the same topic.
For example, sometimes I participate in a tweetchat about education
called #educhat. For this organised Tweetchat, there is an unofficial co-
ordinator who sets a topic, moderates discussion and creates a follow-up
post.
An unofficial discussion
The hashtag is also used for "unofficial" and spontaneous discussions
(these are much more common).
For example, when MasterChef was on Television this year, many people
tweeted about the show while it was one using the #masterchef hashtag.
Each Friday there is #followfriday or #ff where you recommend Tweeps to
your followers. (If you're thinking about becoming someone who
participates in #FF [most folks do] then you should read this post first!)
I've found when participating in official tweetchats, using Tweetchat.com
is really useful. Tweetchat.com is not run by the Twitter company, but is
another company that provides a service to support Twitter (and yes, its
free as well).
1. Go to
www.tweetchat.com.
Use your Twitter
username & password
to sign in.
2. Type in the Hashtag you want to
follow.
© Watego 2009 13](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/shareconnectandchange-090913233753-phpapp01/85/Share-Connect-And-Change-13-320.jpg)
Share Connect And Change
- 1. Share, Connect & Change Social Network Technology & Indigenous People by Leesa Watego, Blacklines Publications This short paper is Version 2 of a paper developed as a teaching tool for Indigenous education students. It attempted to outline two Social Network tools and how they cold be useful in the classroom. I have expanded this original slightly to incorporate the idea of a Personal Learning Network (PLN) for both education and arts students. I will develop this information further online (probably in a wiki) , but for those who require a document to print & read in hard copy this one is available. This version is not the final one (I wonder if it will ever be final!). Please feel free to use it however I request that you respect my copyright and do not use for commercial purposes. Please subscribe to me blog for new Versions in the future. Version 2_14September09 © Leesa Watego © Watego 2009 1
- 2. Share, Connect & Change: Social Network Technology & Indigenous People 1. Introduction ................................................. 3 Thinking Activity 1 .......................................... 3 2. What is a Personal Learning Network? .........4 Thinking Activity 2 .......................................... 4 Thinking Activity 3 .......................................... 4 But I can barely use email! ................................ 0 Share, Connect & Change .................................. 5 3. Some Tools to try when you're starting out ..6 Blogging .......................................................... 6 Twitter ............................................................ 0 Connecting through Twitter ...............................13 Google Reader.................................................15 Some extra reading (including Tweeps you should follow) ................................................ 16 Acknowledgements ........................................ 16 © Watego 2009 2
- 3. 1. Introduction Most of us don't think about cars as "technology", we think about them as forms of transport, and mobility. One day web technology will be the same. Many people think about computers & the web as being about technology. And yes, technology is a huge part of it. But today, in many communities, it is about communication - connecting and sharing with other people regardless of where they live. What if it was like this in all communities? There are many who argue that there are: • digital natives (these are people who are born with this technology around them), and • digital immigrants (these area people born before the technology). However I also argue that we need to make sure that there are no digital refugees (those who have no access to technology). Thinking Activity 1 What are you? A digital native, immigrant, or refugee? Why do you think that is what you are? What do you want to be? Many people in Australia don't even have access to running water & electricity so this is one area where much work needs to still be done. © Watego 2009 3
- 4. 2. What is a Personal Learning Network? A PLN is a concept driven from education professionals that is easily transferrable to the arts. However, a PLN is not really a new concept, particularly for artists, who regularly work collaboratively, go to each other's exhibitions and reference the work of other artists. Networking is also not new for Indigenous people. The 'Murri Grapevine' is a very deadly tool for sharing information; and kinship and protocol are integral to connecting. Thinking Activity 2 When you need information in your daily life, what are the most common tools you use? However, the key difference between traditional networks and a modern concept of a PLN is social network technology. Key to social network technology is the creation of online communities across different platforms (ie. Twitter or Facebook or Ning etc). A community in a social networking context is groups of people with similar interests across a single or multiple platforms. Thinking Activity 3 What do you want/need from a professional network? (for example, sharing experiences, knowledge etc) © Watego 2009 4
- 5. But I can barely use email! Is this you? Remember you are not alone. A lot of people are new to using online technology. And it can be very scary and daunting when you are just learning. And some of us who are deadly at using this stuff, can seem a bit like big-noters. There are two things I'd say about this: • If you're new to online technology & you do want to learn, remember that it takes time to embed new knowledge; you need to be brave and have a go at things even if you're not sure they will work; don't be scared to ask questions; and remember unless you drop the computer &/or spill coke on it, you can't break a computer - so keep clicking. • If you're already deadly at technology, remember that there are lots of people out there who don't know. Don't big-note; take time to share your knowledge; be patient and giving; and talk to people in a way that they'll understand. Share, Connect & Change Connecting to others can make a difference. Whether its connecting with • other Indigenous People in Australia, • Indigenous People from the world, • other Minority groups or people of colour, • Whitefullas, • or people in your profession and/or discipline. Sharing is about sharing your experiences, sharing your story. Connecting is about linking with others to create communities. Change is about making a difference in the world. © Watego 2009 5
- 6. 3. Some Tools to try when you're starting out Personal Learning Network (Stage 1) Tools The above diagram illustrates just some of the tools that you might use in your Personal Learning Network. I will go into some detail (with screen shots) below about Blogging and Twitter. Blogging A blog is short for “web-log”. A blog can really be whatever you want it to be. It can be a personal page where you share with your friends & family; it can be professional and/or business oriented, where you share with colleagues and business. You can also choose to keep your blog private, so that only registered users (people you have approved of) can access it. There are more and more teachers using blogs in their classrooms and artists using them to connect with other artists, write about art & showcase their own work. Blogs, in conjunction with Twitter, RSS Feeds and Facebook are key tools in the event/project manager's tool kit. In relation blogs, be clear in your purpose. As with all other forms of communication, you need to be clear about what you want your blog to do if it is to be most effective. (However, it is my experience, that you © Watego 2009 6
- 7. only way you get "clear" about what your purpose is - is by actually blogging - the act of blogging, helps to work out what it is & what you can do with it) Your blog can do many things such as: • A diary of your experiences; • A place to share resources with other teachers; • Share resources with your students about a topic you are going to study this term; • A communication hub where many blogs are linked (all the students in your class have their own blogs and they link to each other and you) • A back-up place for information, dates for your students (most helpful if you teach in a school where most of the students will have access to computers and the web) So think clearly about what you want it to do if you are going to do with your professional blog. Some of the advantages of a blog are · You have a web presence & a digital identity; · They allow you to communicate with other people anywhere in the world; · It’s a great place to keep your information in one spot Some disadvantages are blog are: · You’re on the web & you need to be responsible for your digital identity; · Need to be aware of copyright issues and security issues. One of the easiest ways to start blogging is using Google's Blogger. It's got less deadly stuff than Wordpress, but for a beginnger, its the place to start. And remember, where you start blogging will probably not be the same place you'll be blogging by the end of the year. If you stick to it, you'll start exploring other places. Below is instructions for how to sign into Google (you need to get a free Google account) and start your Blogger Blog. © Watego 2009 7
- 8. Sign into Google & Blogspot and your digital career is on its way 1. Go to Google.com. Look in the top of the page and you’ll see a hyperlink for Gmail. 2. When you click on the Gmail hyperlink, you will be asked to ‘SIGN IN’ or ‘SIGN UP’. If you’re new, then you’ll need to ‘SIGN UP’ (on the bottom left corner) 3. You will need to complete the online form. This will include choosing an email address for yourself. Think about the email address you want to choose, make it something professional. If you don’t want to choose your name for your email address you may like to call it the same name as the name of your blog (or something similar) © Watego 2009 8
- 9. 4. Go to www.blogspot.com (do not go to www.blogspot.com.au!! – it won’t work). Click on CREATE A BLOG 5. Step 1 is to create a Google Account (use the same information for your Gmail!). Fill in the online form. Click Continue. 6. Step 2 Name your blog. Fill in the online form. Your will need to find a blog title and your blog URL (they can be the same or different) © Watego 2009 9
- 10. 7. Choose a template You can change your template including colours at anytime. So pick one that will do for now, come back later and change it to how you want it. 8. Congratulations! Your blog is created. Now start blogging. © Watego 2009 10
- 11. Twitter Twitter is a free website that allows people from all over the world to communicate simply by starting off with “what are you doing?”. You can follow people from all over the world. There are forums for Indigenous People, Feminism, Education etc. Learn more about what’s out there, resources, events and communicate globally. One of the important things to remember about Twitter (and there are LOTS of Twitter help manuals out there) is - • Don't spam (don't tell people you have stuff to sell - you will be unfollowed very quickly) • Use a profile picture • Make sure you have a link (people will want to find out a bit about you before they follow you back) • Don't buy followers - slowly follow people and they'll follow you back when you connect with them. • Be honest, don't be gammin - just be you. Below are instructions for how to sign up for Twitter. Please note the images used below were from Twitter in 2009. The Twitter interface has been slightly modified - but the "sign-up" process is fundamentally the same) 1. Go to www.twitter.com. You will be asked to “sign in” or “sign up”. Click GET STARTED NOW (in green box) © Watego 2009 11
- 12. 2. Complete form. Choose your twitter name and click create. 3. Find people through twitter. If you know some-one’s twitter name, you can find them. If you don’t, as you know more, follow people when they look interesting. © Watego 2009 12
- 13. Connecting through Twitter An Organised Tweet One way to connect through Twitter is through organised TweetChats. Tweetchats use the hashtag rule to organise tweets on the same topic. For example, sometimes I participate in a tweetchat about education called #educhat. For this organised Tweetchat, there is an unofficial co- ordinator who sets a topic, moderates discussion and creates a follow-up post. An unofficial discussion The hashtag is also used for "unofficial" and spontaneous discussions (these are much more common). For example, when MasterChef was on Television this year, many people tweeted about the show while it was one using the #masterchef hashtag. Each Friday there is #followfriday or #ff where you recommend Tweeps to your followers. (If you're thinking about becoming someone who participates in #FF [most folks do] then you should read this post first!) I've found when participating in official tweetchats, using Tweetchat.com is really useful. Tweetchat.com is not run by the Twitter company, but is another company that provides a service to support Twitter (and yes, its free as well). 1. Go to www.tweetchat.com. Use your Twitter username & password to sign in. 2. Type in the Hashtag you want to follow. © Watego 2009 13
- 14. 3. If you post a tweet while you are in Tweetchat, you DO NOT have to type in the #hashtag. If you post a tweet when you are in your normal Twitter (& not in Tweetchat), you DO have to type in the #hashtag if you wish to have your tweet included in the conversation When using Tweetchat you can have discussions with everyone who is using that #hashtag, even people you are not following. © Watego 2009 14
- 15. Google Reader When you get a Google Account, you are able to access a whole range of services, from GMail, Blogger, through to Ads (where you can earn an income) and Websites. Another really great resource to keep track of your PLN is using Google reader. Rather than me try and explain what RSS and Readers are, watch this short "In Plain English" video on You Tube. Click here to access the video. There are other resources available to teach you how to use Google Reader. Follow my blog & I'll point you in the right direction. © Watego 2009 15
- 16. Some extra reading (including Tweeps you should follow) About Blogging: www.problogger.net (@problogger) www.howtomakemyblog.com About Twitter: ww.twitip.com Twitter Handbooks Twitter Handbook for Teachers by Tomaz Lasic (@lasic) Acknowledgements I have used screen shots from Google's Blogger, Twitter and TweetChat and logos from Delicious, Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, RSS and Google Reader. Connect with me - Google www.google.com/profiles/lwatego Blogs www.teacherswhotweet.com www.inquirybites.com Slideshare www.slideshare.net/leesawatego Twitter www.twitter.com/LeesaWatego Facebook Leesa Watego Website www.blacklines.com.au © Watego 2009 16
- 17. © Watego 2009 17