Promises+of+EducationTech



=**2.0 THE PROMISES OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY**=


 * 1) Benefits to the Learning Process
 * 2) Collaboration within and beyond the Classroom (Anne is editing this section for the next XX minutes)>>
 * 3) Communication and Rapid Access to Resources
 * 4) Provides new Career Opportunities
 * 5) Creates a New Generation of Social Networks
 * 6) Provides Skills for the Future
 * 7) Potential Drawbacks for Technology in Education

Educators, inventors, and leaders have long looked toward technology to increase students' ability and motivation to learn. In 1922, [|Thomas Edison]predicted that motion picture promised to revolutionize education. More recently, President George W. Bush’s [|No Child Left Behind Act]stated that each state's schools should use technology as a tool to improve academic achievement; however, using the latest technology in the classroom should not be an end unto itself. Technology increases collaboration among learners by improving communication and allowing students to establish connections with peers, experts, and professional learning environments. Furthermore, technology diminishes physical barriers to learning and allows the establishment of online virtual communities where new skill sets are created and forged.

We look first at the role technology plays in maximizing learning. The second point discusses ways it encourages collaboration both locally and over distances. This leads into a discussion of communication technology and the way it improves the communication in the classroom and beyond. This communication has resulted in a surge of social networks; each serve as potential resources in education. We conclude with the role technology plays in supporting an educational environment that fosters a [|framework for 21st century skills].

 (**//my sense is this section is weak... There is lots of evidence that computers increase reading and writing skills there is some evidence that it helps in problem solving. Game and simulation have been recently used to really impact learning. This is the place to make the strongest argument for why you might want to use technology. I reorganized the paragraphs which helps but this is place you would contribute.- Here is a site with studies of research that find some effect on writing but not strong effects. You have to pay attention to the type of technology --there is little effect for integrated learning systems...the types that people feared would replace teachers http://www.sri.com/policy/csted/reports/sandt/it/ All of these reports have summaries. mr)//
 * 2.1 Benefits to the Learning Process (TOP)

[|George Lucas]describes "mutually satisfying instructional mechanisms" that offer the student more responsibility and influence over his or her own educational experience. "Innovative classrooms are abuzz with productive discussions and the excitement of learning" (Lucas, 2002). The Internet offers students access to information not found in the physical classroom - they gain access to some of the most sophisticated labs and expertise through collaborative online networks. They can also experience virtual field trips to places they never imaged or dreamed existed (such as the Norko watering hole in South Africa through a 24 hour a day webcam).Technology, according to Cuban, allows students "direct access to facts, ideas, and primary sources, links images and concepts to sound and film and motivates students, especially those who would otherwise not be engaged" (2001).Technology attracts students to the learning process and allows for a more customized experience by supporting different learning styles to emerge such as audio, visual and kinesthetic.

Technology can also do more than just provide new ways of learning; it can also stir the creativity of students - in a [|2007 study] of the literacy practices of eight different students' use of the web in youth communities, it was shown that the technology became more than just a simple source of information - in some cases it became a scratchpad for ideas, or pointed the way to new areas of growth and exploration, and new perspectives. Use of the technology and tools in their online social lives led the students in the study to better their research skills - they did not just simply look up information, but had learned to evaluate the veracity of information by the source or by the comments others had about the information.

In the realm of education, one of the students in the study was having a hard time with his math assignments; he remarked that "This is easier to understand. I mean the math book just uses these big terms and half of them aren't in the book. You can't follow it" (Alvermann, Marshall, et al, 2007). His ability to not only search, but evaluate and decided which online math tutorial to use meant that he could get the help in the areas he needed - definitions and examples and interactivity that can't be offered in the classroom. This new paradigm of education (individualized instruction; learner-side decisions in course materials, etc...) has been brought about in part by the ready access to a whole host of online tools designed to make information more accessible and education more effective.

Tools such as [|video cameras]and consumer-grade [|video editing]software are technologies that can improve education by maximizing learning through the spawning of motivation and granting students opportunities to actively participate. Video conferencing, podcasting and Web 2.0 applications can connect students to the world by granting access to information not seen or heard prior to the Internet revolution. Access to this information will help students enhance their background knowledge on any topic. By having rapid access to virtually anything, teachers are afforded the opportunity to validate and promote student inquiries. Teachers can connect to the global community in a low cost way. The [|Flat Classroom Project] allows for American high school students to develop a partnership with students across the globe and conduct a series of activities that deal with globalization (Russo 2008). In addition, critical thinking skills are enhanced through computers; Moersh suggests that performance assessments that emphasize "components of content, process, and product" can use [|multimedia]capabilities of modern computers to encourage higher order thinking (Moersh, 2002). Tools that allow the maximization of learning in the physical classroom can increase the intelligence level of students as Eric Jenson suggests in his book, __The Learning Brain.__Many researchers confirm that the more often a certain neuropathway is used, the stronger the pathway becomes in the brain. By using pathways over and over in the brain, other pathways develop as offshoot connections to the main pathway, thus providing a larger percentage of brain use. //Does discussion of tools like bugscope go here? What about all of the application on Edutopia?//-mr

In a recent controlled experiment Roschelle and his colleagues (2007) compared the math curricula used traditionally in Texas with an innovated SimCalc computer tool approach. They found that students who use SimCalc gained 46% while those using traditional learning materials had an average gain of 19%. Statistically, the size of the SimCalc effect was measured at 0.84, which is considered a large effect in education. Another study measuring the impact of educational software on reading found positive results. Writing-based programs which attempt to teach young children to read by stimulating them to write found "strong, positive results" specifically in kindergartners (Kulik, 2003). Recent computer programs for writing can also facilitate success by helping students with pre-created web templates, brainstorming, developing ideas, outlining and organizing. "Templates provide a framework and reduce the physical effort spent on writing so that students can pay attention to organization and content" (Access Center, 2008). Students with disabilities are empowered by word processing software programs that yield their independence as writers (Montgomery, 2006). Accelerated Reader, another reading program that has demonstrated an increase in student motivation, allows students to self select books that are appropriate for their reading level. After completion of the book they are given a comprehension exam and then provided with an instant score. Although there is a significant correlation between Accelerated Reader and reading achievement, that correlation did not prove that Accelerated Reader caused reading scores to go up. However, schools that owned the Accelerated Reader program had reading scores that were higher than schools that did not own the program. The study suggested that Accelerated Reader had "positive effects" on students' reading development (Kulik, 2003). //(there are lots of studies that show increase in writing skills-mr)//

There is strong evidence that Web-Based Bulletin Board (WBB) discussions are improving the critical thinking skills of students. In a study by Yang, Newby, Bill (2008) evaluated students in a veterinary distance learning program with the findings indicating that WBBs significantly improved the student's critical thinking skills. Research also indicates that the success of WBB discussion is due to the collaboration process that is an integral component of this learning tool. To enhance technology being used with the goal of improving critical thinking skills, the students and teachers must become the driving force and creators of the information and not just the users of technology.

//Technology and Literacy// Recently, technology use in the classroom has had positive effects on reading and writing, especially for English language learners and students with special needs. Traditionally, computers in the classroom were used for literacy support activities such as reading comprehension using a computer-based question-answer type approach or Internet-based activities with few skills reinforcement or enrichment.

A new approach to using computers in the classroom is to provide activities and projects that simulate real-world experiences and authentic learning situations. Activities within this realm could include, Internet-based research projects (with real-time, up-to-date information), where a student is using the Internet for research, a word-processing program and other media to enhance the presentation of the final product. Of word processing, J.A. Kulik (2003) states that, “For two decades, then, evaluation studies have been reporting that students who use word processors for writing compositions demonstrate superior writing skills in later follow-up tests of writing skills.” These types of activities can be used with any type of learner.

Schools have also implemented computer based supplements to literacy curriculum, one example of these supplements is Write to Read (WTR). Write to Read is a supplement that allows first graders and kindergartners to work on their writing skills on the computer. According to a study conducted by Robert E. Salvin (1990), Two evaluations found strong positive WTR results at the end of kindergarten. The average effect of WTR in these two studies was to increase scores on reading tests by 0.84 standard deviations, equivalent to a boost from the 50th to the 80th percentile. Supplements to curriculum can be very powerful because they allow for individulized insturction. Therefore, meeting the needs of every student.

Other beneficial uses of technology in literacy instruction include:
 * Audiobooks: Books read to readers via different media sources such as CDs, tapes, or compressed audio (MP3). These books provide the reader with an example of appropriate intonation, expression and fluency. It also allows readers to read at a slightly higher decoding level because the decoding is already done for them. Audiobooks can be created by parents or by the students themselves. Student recorded audiobooks provides an opportunity for students to hear their own reading voices.
 * Text-to-Speech: Software that reads any typed text aloud. This tool can allow readers to read any webpages, online books, or typed text without the struggle associated with low fluency rate or word recognition. Students can also type up their own stories and have them read aloud during the writing process. This may improve recognition of possible editing and revising ideas. These software programs are great tools for low readers as well as students who struggle with dyslexia or photo-sensitive epilepsy which involves moving or flickering light.
 * Graphic Organizer Software/Publishing Software: Programs designed to create a visual representation of ideas. Software, such as Inspiration, KidPix or Microsoft Publisher, can assist students who learn visually, including English language learners.

  "Technology allows for greater cooperation, communication, and creativity of groups all over the world" (Rheingold, 2002).
 * 2.2 Encourages Collaboration ****(TOP)**
 * Edited by Donna and Anne **


 * Collaboration is essential in ensuring skillful educators and educated children. The Internet increases availability of digital video tools used by learners to explore and encourage collaborative work, and offers a solid primer of what collaborative work entails. Through collaboration there is greater opportunity for community involvement where students, parents, and teachers become lifelong learners exchanging thoughts, ideas and roles. Previously in education, the teacher was in-charge of the classroom, instructing his/her students on what he/she deemed appropriate. With the emersion of Web 2.0 tools into classrooms, education and collaboration have a much different look where teachers, students, and parents can all become distributors of learning. All this is possible because of the digital revolution, where the removal of artificial and geographic barriers lends to a greater availability of learning communities to connect. Collaboration is essential in ensuring skillful educators and educated children (//Edutopia//, 2002). **

**Through the use of [|Microsoft Word’s editing and reviewing toolbar], students can leave valuable comments collaborating with one another to improve all students’ writing. The teacher does not need to be the one reading everyone’s writing, instead the [|learning can be distributed amongst the class] so that the students learn from one another’s’ writing as well as improving their own. Another great example of collaboration is the writing of this paper; although we are all students in the same class, we are all not located within the same classroom. We are from Texas, Illinois, California, and Colorado to name a few. Through collaboration and communication tools such as [|Skype], [|Oovoo], Wikispaces, and [|AdobeConnectNow], we can write a paper together. **
 * Technology can help to change the "teacher/learner dynamic," allowing students greater control of their learning (21st Century Skills Report, 2002). As previously stated, 21st century classrooms look dramatically different. Changing the child/adult dynamic, technology promotes cross-generational[|**collaboration**]that is more comfortable for the student. The student can become in expert in almost an area they so choose. No longer is the teacher the sole provider of content, but through wikis, blogs, podcasts, etc…the student has an immense volume of knowledge at their fingertips. Students can then spread their understanding of the subject matter in small groups within the classroom walls collaborating sharing, and teaching their peers in learning circles. The use of learning circles can provide a positive and beneficial experience for both teachers and student in a virtual classroom (Riel, 2006 ****).****Additionally, students can become editors and teachers helping one another with writing tasks. **
 * Additionally, through the same Web 2.0 tools, blogs, wikis, podcasts and video conferencing, students can now share their learning beyond the classrooms walls. One such example of this is in a high school Language Arts class in Littleton, Colorado. Previously, students in this classroom would read novels and discuss it using the [|fishbowl method]. The students’ learning was limited to the discussions in classroom and learning from one another. About three years ago, the teacher received a classroom set of laptop computers. The students’ learning and discussions still occurred in the classroom, but a separate yet integrated discussion was occurring online as well through the implementation of [|live blogging]. Students could now help each other understand //Macbeth// [|beyond the end of class]. With a simple blog question posted, students can collaborate to teach one another. To take it a step further, the teacher collaborated with another teacher in her school as well as the Director of Technology to fishbowl and live blog with the author of //A Whole New Mind//, [|Daniel Pink]. Students were able to collaborate with the author discussing their ideas about his book in relation to education as well as30 other learned edu-bloggers from around the world through the use of a live blog, video conferencing using [|MeBeam], and an in classroom discussion. At the end of the project, the students collaboration was even being captured through CoverItLive and broadcast over [|Ustream] **(video archive, chat archive) **. The students, teachers, Daniel Pink, and each online participant in this dynamic project learned how important is to go beyond the classroom walls to understand and grow as a learner. Through this availability of collaborative knowledge, learning and teaching looks quite different. **


 * Technology based communication allows all types of individuals to share their skills and ideas with students without having to be physically present. Physical and national borders are removed enabling cooperation and educational opportunities across the world. Students can experiment with databases like [|**Online Medical Diagnosis**] and [|**WebMD**] to prepare for a virtual visit from a doctor or nurse. Students collaborate with etymologists from natural science museums or use tools like [|Bugscope]. In the corporate world, collaboration is available through tools such as web conferencing. Web conferencing allows attendees to simply enter a URL or website meeting address to enter the live meeting or conference ([|**www.wikipedia.com**]).. Educational support websites, such as **learn.org**, are available that provide resources for teachers including webcast, workshops, courses and telecast. The accessibility of resources for teachers is limited only by the teacher’s and students’ awareness of resources and experience searching for web-based resources. Through websites such as ****[|iearn.org] ****, classrooms can become connected, collaborative learning environments working with students from around the world in order to make a difference. Some projects classrooms students can collaborate on now are [|creating postcards,] [|calculating your CO2 footprint], and [|researching the impact local community members had upon history.] **




 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">The evolution of technology based communication has produced effective, interactive, collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. There are limitless possibilities to the learning and engagement that can occur in a connected collaborative learning environment. The learning is able to exist within the classrooms where teachers and students are learners together. It is also able to transcend the classroom walls where participants from around the world construct learning together. Through the use of Web 2.0 tools, and a student centered collaborative learning environment, students are gaining the skills necessary to be successful citizens in the 21st century. According to the authors of //[|Wikinomics]//, “…a power shift is underway and a tough new business rule is emerging: Harness the new collaboration or perish. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated- cut off from networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value (Tapscott and Williams, 11). Schools that are transforming their classrooms into collaborative learning environments are enabling their students with the skills to make a powerful global impact. One day, maybe these students will collaborate, because of their early foundation in working together, to solve global problems such as global warming, AIDS, cancer, etc…. With effective collaboration, anything is possible. **



**2.3 Improves Communication and provides Rapid Access to Resources (Dijlah Benjamin - feel free to add on to it)** (TOP)
Technology improves [|communication]in all settings including education. Schools' increasing online presence allows for additional modern and convenient means of communicating with parents (Cuban, 2001). Technology and the Internet also promotes greater cooperation, communication, and creativity of groups all over the world (Rheingold, 2002). Schools are no longer isolated bodies of knowledge. Connected by the Internet, individual schools form communities of knowledge, sharing research, curriculum and methods with their global colleagues.Increased communication has far reaching influences including sweeping improvements in the practice of medicine (nanomedicine), and [|Artificial Intelligence]which offers insight into human intelligence (Pesce 2000). The very world in which we dwell and its "noosphere," or collective human intelligence are built upon the [|World Wide Web], cellular phones, voice or Short Messaging Service (SMS) [aka: text messaging], and Global Positioning System (GPS).

//so what is the value of this improved communication?// -mr I think it is possible and probable to find examples of improved communications and see the real value on our society and the world. One such area I found is the use of improved communications in e-medicine. (mw)

Some essential and specific components of this type of e-medicine communications;

1. The information system must be deployed at a local level and be incorporated into other levels to form cooperative alliances with hospitals and groups of medical personnel. 2. The medical information from the field of operations along with he databases from central locations must be stored in several locations, not just one place. This decentralization will allow for efficient access, finding, analyzing, and manipulating of the information by multiple sources at the same time if needed. 3. The patient information must have a lifetime with that of the patient. It must also be extensible. It must also be gathered in the field, stored, and transfered to a database that can be accessed by multiple sources and readily recalled by practitioners in the field at later dates of care. 4. There must be a mobile device and component for information storing and access. Some considerations are the proper transfer and migration of information from device to another when devices are replaced. There must be proper assurance that information will not be lost if the practitioner and device are out of touch or range of the network for periods of time. 5. Due to the possible scale of the operation and distances between participants as new versions are introduced it may not be possible to update all devices simultaneously. Therefore some versioning system must be built in to allow for new an d old versions work efficiently side by side until updates can be downloaded. 6. There must be a distributed information and communications platform defined so services and data can remain with integrity while the system is undergoing upgrades, replacements, or repairs. Service and access must be uninterrupted no matter what to ensure proper care in the field. 8. The distributed platform should be created to last an average person's lifetime, say 80 years, before major changes will be required. 9. There must be a two way device and ability available with mobility in mine, distributed accessibility. Interactive video conferencing with synchronous ability available.

Scope of Services; 1. E-medicine can encompass diagnosis, therapeutic treatment, forensic modalities, outpatient evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy consultation. 2. E-medicine consultations can be conducted between the patient, the physician in the field, and physicians or other health care providers in other locations. 3. Periodic face to face sessions in the field may be few and far between. Updates between the field operative and the main locale can be also completed with asynchronous communications such as email, fax, and text. 4. Supervision and training can be done across time and place with video conferencing in real time or asynchronously. 5. Cognitive testing can be done in the field with a mobile device and shared to central locations for review.

Device and its system requirements; 1. There must be a large scale distributed communications computer platform created. 2. There must be a wide range of deployment of mobile devices to feed information into the network. ( smartphone with internet capabilities, storage of data, and photo and video capabilities)

Possible areas of need and deployment; 1. Third and fourth world countries and rural areas connected to first world countries and medical facilities with hospitals and schools with teaching facilities and capabilities. 2. Urban areas of low-income residents that may require quality medical attention.

Examples current and in planning for the future; 1. Residents of two Cambodian rural villages have e-medicine access to HMS affiliated hospitals and physicians with Partners HealthCare Center for Connected Health, Operation Village Health, and American Assistance for Cambodia since 2001. 2. Residents of HaTien Vietnam and the rural villages surrounding will benefit in the future from a local primary health care center connected with practitioners and facilities in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and the United States, in California and Hawaii. There will also be an educational component that with utilize distributed learning principles with distributed a cognitive approach. A school for young girls, age 8-14, will be created to teach english and computer skills. It is the hope with this education which will be delivered both in a face to face classroom and across time and place with a computer mediated classroom. this education will enable the local community of girls to become educated and be able to participate in the first world through distributed learning, knowledge, and communications. They will be able to start and sustain a distributed computer mediated business so they will be able to support their families and avoid being sold into human slavery operations and sold into prostitution only to be returned a few years later with AIDS and shunned from the community. This project will be under the auspices of Medicine 4 the 21st Century, a non profit organization created to start and sustain these projects in Vietnam.


 * It is impossible to provide a good overview of the value of this improved communication because it impacts so many different facets of our society: culture, politics, economics, etc.** **This improved communication allows interactions in collaborative groups where ideas and knowledge is shared during this process. This exchange of information inspires people to learn and make a change in their communities.**



**2.4 Provides new Job Opportunities** (TOP)
Technological advances in the past three decades have lead to the creation of numerous new job opportunities in fields such as computer sciences and informational and computational sciences and shifts in employment opportunities related to advances in networking and collaborative working tools. It is the role of today’s educator to prepare students to be ready to meet the demands of society as technology continues to change the face of the global job market.

While there have been arguments claiming that emerging technology will displace jobs, the research does not support this claim and new professions and positions based on technological advances are rapidly appearing. Research by Michael Handel in 2003 while working as a consultant to SRI International, revealed that employment within the United States grew almost uninterrupted between 1948 and 2000. According to Handel, “During this period of rising productivity, mechanization, and computerization, total employment more than doubled from less than 60 million to more than 135 million, and there has been no obvious slackening of the pace in the past two decades, during which computers became much more common in the workplace" (Handel 2007).

In October of 2007, Microsoft released the results of a study done by International Data Corporation (IDC) which included economic studies of 82 countries and regions. The study predicted that global spending on IT over the next four years will create 7.1 million new jobs and 100,000 new businesses. According to the IDC, “The research predicts that in 2007 Microsoft-related activities are responsible for 14.7 million jobs from an IT industry total of 35.2 million people — 42 percent of total IT employment globally in 2007 — and more than $514 billion* in tax revenue worldwide.” [|(Microsoft Study)]

In order to prepare students for technology jobs of the future, they will need to be actively involved in the technology of today. Educational technology not only enhances and enriches the learning environment for students it also provides necessary exposure to the skills to rapidly acquire and apply new technological talents. Combining technology education techniques with exposure to work-related application creates a strong model for preparing students for their future in technology-oriented vocations. The National Education Technology Plan provided a compelling argument in support of this model with its overview of the work being done at High Tech High in San Diego:

High Tech High (HTH) in San Diego used a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant and funding from the San Diego technology business community to start a charter school from scratch. Since its launch in September 2000, the school has been an innovation leader in using technology and grounding learning in the “real world.” Student internships with area businesses are built into the schedule and students use technology to conduct biotechnology lab experiments, build robots and produce sophisticated school projects. Its 400 students are from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds and last year 100 percent of HTH seniors were accepted into college.” One hundred percent is a powerful testament to the value of creating technology-learning environments within today’s school system and incorporating practical experience to students within the business community.

But should education be solely about preparing students for work? Chris Lehmann, the founding principal of Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy, feels that education is much more than creating future workers. "When I hear people say it's our job to create the twenty-first-century workforce, it scares the hell out of me. Our job is to create twenty-first-century citizens. We need workers, yes, but we also need scholars, activists, parents -- compassionate, engaged people. We're not reinventing schools to create a new version of a trade school. We're reinventing schools to help kids be adaptable in a world that is changing at a blinding rate" (Smith, 2007).

This ‘blinding rate’ that Lehmann references is spurred on by the rapid advancement of technology. Keeping technology a forefront in education will be essential for today’s students to be ready to meet the world of tomorrow. This point is made clearly by Karl Fisch in the original version of his “[|Did You Know]” presentation as he notes, “According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley, the top 10 jobs that will be in demand in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004.” He continues to point out, “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”

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The promise of technology in education is that it is a key enabler in preparing students for future roles in society that have yet to be defined or imagined.


 * //Note: This section ties in closely with section 2.6 "Provides Skills for the Future". Should these each be discrete sections that refer to one another, or are they closely enough aligned that they can be merged? Thoughts? dwood// 8/16/08**



**2.5 Creates a New Generation of Social Networks** (TOP)
//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(this is a great topic but it needs some development it has a bit of a pasted together feel...don't you think? I don't get the what the reference to Dede is saying. I reworked the taspcott citation but either more needs to be said or it should be dropped. Where is the discussion of my space and ebay and amazon and all of the great examples of social networking. ) //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">

Technology and its users have created a new generation of social network services. These services have built virtual communities which are created without barriers, and allow their users to socialize, learn, and share with one another. As a result, learning models in educational and organizational settings have experienced a shift in recent years to focus more on student learning and collaboration rather than a teacher-focused approach based on instruction. This shift and the expanded use of social networking tools has seamlessly brought education outside of the school or corporate classroom to a more informal setting where facilitation and relevant information are readily available across time zones and geographic regions.

One of the early social network services, classmates.com, allowed high school and college alumni to reconnect with one another. It quickly became a popular site and many other sites such as sixdegrees.com followed in its footsteps. However, users began to look for more opportunities and levels on which to connect. In 2003, myspace.com launched and people from all around the globe were able to connect with friends, coworkers, and people with similar interests. MySpace was not the only popular social network service for long, according to wikipedia, the top five sites with the most users are [|Windows Live Spaces] with 120 million, [|Facebook] with 115 million, [|MySpace] with 110 million users, [|Habbo] with 100 million users and [|hi5], which reports 70 million users. According to wikipedia, the 70 million hi5 users are predominantly teenagers from Portugal, Cyprus, Romania and Latin America. Suffice to say the number of social network users is staggering. (wikipedia, 2008).

“The Year in Review and Trends to Watch in 2008”, from the academic peer reviewed journal, Nursing Education Perspectives, called attention to the growth of social networking. The review not only noted a significant increase in the number of users of social network sites, the review sited an increase in older adult users. Skiba points to the increased use of social networking technology in education, referring to platforms such as [|Facebook], [|Myspace] , [|Skype] , [|linkedin] , [|IPhone] , [|wiki’s] and [|blogging]. Skiba’s review includes a link to a video clip of [|Nicholas Negroponte], founder of the [|“One Laptop Per Child”] initiative. Negroponte’s presentation covers social networking as an educational medium. [|Dr. Paul Sparks] recently spoke about the concept of allowing one to learn as opposed one being taught. Negroponte likewise refers this concept of learning in the video clip. (Skiba, 2008)

These virtual communities are not only used by teens and adults. Some virtual communities are formed for younger students to use as well. DeDe suggests the idea of interfaces he calls "Alice-in-Wonderland" that allow multi-user environments or a "costume party" environment. These environments can be provided for both student and adult in the virtual worlds of MUVE or [|Second Life]. These virtual worlds allow instructors, students and parents to create an avatar and navigate throughout the world. The creation of the avatar allows all members of the community to be seen as equals and all members are learning from one another. Tapscott provides an example of kids who asked speakers if they had email addresses and then used them to pose their questions which he claims is fracturing the power dynamic that exists between children and adults (Tapscotte, 1998)

Existing social networks are also benefiting from new social network services. An article in the eastern edition of the Wall Street journal covers how small businesses are benefiting from social network sites like [|Ning.com]. Small businesses use social networking to collaborate, communicate and cross publicize their businesses. The article suggests that small business social networking increases market exposure as well as adding a comfortable intimate appeal to the customer. (Spors, 2008)

Education, business networking and reconnecting with old friends are not the only uses for this new generation of networking. Many people also began to connect on another social network service, [|ebay.com], an online auction and shopping website. [|Craigslist.com] is another network, with a similar purpose. One may buy and sell items on craigslist.com, however you may also place a classified ad, meet a friend, or open a discussion forum. Not to be overlooked, uBid.com is becoming quite popular and known as a website where customers can "outsmart retail prices" of "excess inventory from the world's most trusted brands."

The possibilities for social networking services expand as the needs of their users vary. Once a world where you must mail a letter and wait for a response has given way to an email, or a question posted on Facebook, MySpace or listing in a forum. The once large world is now connected and closer than ever.

**2.5.1 Social Networking Tools in an Educational Setting**
Social Networking tools not only connect you to your former classmates, but can also lead to expanding the possibilities of such tools (in students' eyes) beyond free time and into an educational sense. Students can, for example, use a tool such as Facebook to connect //globally// to students of similar interests or working on similar projects. Classrooms on different continents can become one. We are in a time were the world is level-less and one large community and economy. Social Networking tools are not only readily available, but they are mostly free to use. This limits the road blocks to only the worry that a group may not have the physical technologies (ie. computers and Internet access).

So many times in education social networking is frowned upon, at often those frowns are easily justified, but maybe for a change we EMBRACE these tools and show their potential as an educational aid?! We always must worry of the exploitation of minors, but that can be smoothed-out with more filtering and monitoring. We can turn this worry into a new life lesson on the appropriateness of these sites, what content is viable to put on them, and how to use them...not abuse them! There is always an opportunity to teach something new built off of something else. These are known as Teachable Moments.

The flip side of the debate of Social Networking Tools in a classroom setting is an easy one: They are useless. People can argue forever about how Facebook and Myspace are ridden with garbage, exploit minors, and are redundant. And, it is difficult to not agree with that. This is why we need to find a way to embrace these tools which are so prevalent in our students' world and make them work some how. We need to find that 'happy medium.'

Let's break down the debate of social networking tools in the classroom into PROS and CONS:

Pros: 1- Opens the world into a single classroom 2- Connect with peers whom you may not normally connect 3- Embraces what is already relevant to them 4- Applies Real-World skills and technologies 5- Makes everyone a part of the learning process (everyone is engaged b/c they are all involved in the site) 6- Real-Time updates on assignments, reminders, homework help

Cons: 1- Personal safety of students 2- Provides another distraction from the topic 3- There is a fine line in student/teacher relationships when these sites are involved 4-...

The **National School Boards Association (NSBA)** released a research report on online social networking sites and students, called **//C//**<span style="font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">//**R****EATING &CONNECTING**//**Research and Guidelines on Online Social — and — ([|NSBA Report] ). According to the report, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,fantasy; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"> an astonishing 96 percent of students with online access report that they ever used any social networking technologies, such as chatting, text messaging, blogging and visiting online communities. Further, students report that one of the most common topics of conversation on the social networking scene is education. **Almost 60 percent of students who use social networking talk about education topics online and, surprisingly, more than 50 percent talk specifically about schoolwork. **This is astonishing. This only proves the point that maybe there is some overreaction to the use of these websites in an educational setting.

The Report goes on to find that there are many positive things that come out of social networks for students. Some include sharing of original music, posting messages in discussions, sharing photos, sharing videos, blogging, creating content, site-building, and more. Let's take the original-music example and break it apart. A networking site such as Myspace.com and their Myspace Music feature allows a student with a microphone to showcase their talent, for free, to the world. This has proven true for millions of users and many have even gone on to be discovered and become international superstars. A prime example of this is Colbie Collait, who was discovered on Myspace and went on to sell hundreds of thousands of albums. ([|USA TODAY] ). **

//**<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 21px;">2.5.2 Social Networking Tools in a Corporate Setting **// In today's changing business world, organizations are constantly searching for ways to implement cost cutting measures that do not negatively impact workplace productivity or learning. The need for just-in-time learning solutions has become more critical than ever as businesses must keep pace with competitors, new technology, and the ever-changing economic environment. Unlike traditional learning management platforms or instructional design processes which generally require a reasonably large financial and time investment to implement, employees can reap the benefits of social networking tools with just a few clicks from their computers or mobile devices.

It seems that social networking may provide solutions or relief for some of the most challenging issues that corporate learning departments face today. Such challenges include training geographically scattered employees, providing relevant knowledge or training on a timely basis, providing collaborative work environments to cross-functional teams, and ensuring that effective knowledge transfer occurs once the learner has returned to their job. While some may argue that valuable work time can easily be wasted on social networking sites or tools such as blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, others can defend that these tools can provide access to resources within and outside of the organization and answers to work related questions in real-time.

List and describe ways (can be creative) social networking can benefit the corporate learning function... 1- Link learners to other resources in their technical field 2- Corporate learning departments can provide relevant updates to employees in real time 3- Corporate learning departments can use social networking tools to reinforce classroom training / evaluate understanding of content 4- Encourage sense of learning community within an organization (especially those with decentralized corporate structure) 5- Connects departments that may not normally work together 6- Promotes "oneness" or "community" 7-...

**2.6 Provides Skills for the Future** (TOP)
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a leading advocacy organization, brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. They advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provide tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change. In order for America to compete in a globally competitive workforce, Partnership for 21st Century Skills impressive mission is to align classroom environments with real world environments by infusing 21st century skills that include:
 * Learning and Innovation Skills (Creativity and Innovation Skills, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills, Communication and Collaboration Skills
 * Information, Media and Technology Skill (Information Literacy, Media Literacy, ICT Literacy)
 * Life and Career Skills (Flexibility & Adaptability, Initiative & Self-Direction, Social & Cross-Cultural Skills, Productivity & Accountability, Leadership & Responsibility)

The pressure to incorporate technology in higher education is both internal and external and the consequences are substantial. Employers seek graduates who demonstrate both mastery of the current knowledge base and master of technology that will enable them to stay current (Owen, P. & Demb, A. 2004).

Educational technologists emphasize the hands-on experience of learning that technology offers. "Rather than reading about physics or math, Resnick prefers children (and adults) to participate in an exploration that will feel much like play but will result in the acquisition of a broader base of knowledge—learning by doing" (Pesce, 2000). Dede speaks of a necessary shift from "problem solving" towards "problem finding" to prepare our learners for the future. According to Dede, a great deal of what we do in schools is teaching students to work with pre-digested information. The world that awaits our students will require them to "understand complex phenomena" and "problem find" prior to "problem solving.”

As young students are exposed more and more to the physical and virtual worlds of technology, vocabulary and high-level critical reading skills will be developed. Students will better comprehend the differences between personal reading and technical reading. Through computer programs and instructional tasks, students will have the ability to interact by sharing a common language of their adult counterparts. DeDe notes that students "will encounter richer, more uniform levels of discourse across the multiple adults involved in their learning outside of school...exposure to complex oral and written language... in a community setting enhances the development of reading skills and literacy. Technology is a great way to place students into ’real-world’ simulations that enable this type of thinking” (Dede, 2006).

Technology also offers students training in the skills they will need for future employment (Tapscott, 1998). Using computers, unlike passively reading a book or listening to a lecture, actively involves the student and exercises such needed skills as problem solving and information analysis.

Serim (2003) presents the notion of “Contemporary Literacy" to prepare students for the 21st Century. Contemporary literacy, which includes technology and information-based problem solving, builds a bridge to connect to current and traditional literacy. It is interwoven within the curriculum. A good example is the embedding of calculators in math class, or the use of word processors in English class. The technology becomes transparent to the user. These new approaches to literacy could then be transferred to the state and national testing arenas and also transform standardized assessments on grade level achievement and year-end course studies.

As learning moves into a format more representative of today’s work climate, control must shift to the learner. This approach [to learning] is less about communication and more about a process of immersion. Acknowledging that learning is a process beyond simply processing information requires a definition that is valuable in both formal and informal learning activities. Learning is not an isolationist activity without intent or aim. Certain learning experiences build skills; others build attitudes, beliefs, or other soft knowledge (Siemens, 2005).

One major implication will be that employees will need more than technical skills to do a job. They will also need the previously mentioned managerial, coordination and leadership skills. They will need the emotional make-up to function in a more fluid, turbulent social structure in which boundaries will shift and become more permeable. They will need to be more self-reliant, responsible, and self-monitoring, especially as work is done more at home and "in motion." And, most important, they will need the capacity to learn from their own experience and the experience of others. Organizational learning will not occur without individual learning skills and capacities at all levels (Schein, 1996).

 I moved this section to the challenges as this is the positive section.... MR
 * (2.7 Potential Drawbacks for Technology in Education** **<span class="wiki_link">) **