Books of interest

My research into social software, particularly blogs, in education has lead me to numerous journal articles, but also several recent books.  I note them here for your reference in case you, the reader, have interest in this area as well. The links go to Google Books, where you can preview the book and find information on how to obtain a copy, either at a library or through purchase:

• Teacher's guide to blogs, wikis, and other tools that are shaping a new information landscape - by David Warlick
• Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms By Will Richardson 
• Making the most of the Web in your classroom: a teacher's guide to blogs ... By Timothy D. Green, Abbie Brown, LeAnne Robinson 
• Wired for Learning: An Educators Guide to Web 2.0 By Terry T. Kidd, Irene Chen 
• Teaching writing using blogs, wikis, and other digital tools by Richard Beach 
• Enhancing e-learning with media-rich content and interactions by Richard Caladine 

Social software in education can teach cultural literacy

One reason for incorporating social software technologies in a sound way into pedagogical activities is to give students hands-on training in learning how to correctly use and apply the new technologies.

Kolowich advocates that students need to learn how to think critically about emerging technologies and learn how to use judgment and discretion in the technologically-changing world.  These skills are not discipline-specific and will be necessary as they operate in society, regardless of their future job. Failure to incorporate experience with and to teach critical understanding of emerging technologies in education will result in a society that will be ruled by the technologies without critically evaluating them.

Stuart Selber advocates for a cultural literacy that teaches students to critically evaluate technologies as cultural artifacts, asking question such as

• What is lost as well as gained? 
• Who profits? 
• Who is left behind and for what reasons? 
• What is privileged in terms of literacy and learning and cultural capital? 
• What political and cultural values and assumptions are embedded in hardware and software?” 

 In this way, students learn not just the technology itself, but general principles of evaluation which enable them to critically assess any technology they may encounter.

Educational use of social media lags behind society

Technology pervades our day-to-day activities, yet has not reached the same adoption rate in education settings. Educational adoption of social software technologies appears to be at the early-mid stage, using Roger’s Innovation Adoption Rate, perhaps between early adopters and early majority.

A recent survey by Pearson Publishing, "Social Media in Higher Education,” revealed that although faculty reported that social media has “value for teaching by over a four to one margin”, the actual class implementation of the tools was around 10%. Thus although there is a broad awareness of the social software technologies and their possible educational uses, the actual adoption rate is still low.  (To see their Slideshow report, visit: http://www.slideshare.net/PearsonLearningSolutions/pearson-socialmediasurvey2010)

Educators need to embrace the emerging technologies to implement them into the learning activities. The new media offer new ways to encourage student interaction, support the constructivist approach to learning that individuals build on their previous knowledge, and also the social constructivist view which states we learn in community with others.