4.1.7

4.1.7: Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information.

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4.1.7: Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information. There are the obvious social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. However, those are not necessarily educational, nor are they information tools, and they are not monitored. A good educational alternative that is monitored is “It’s My Life” by PBS Kids. This site is especially good for older grade school and middle school aged kids (roughly ages 9-13). []



I would have loved a site like this one when I was younger. It’s a place to go to discuss and find out other kid's thoughts about various topics. From the website’s About Us”, “It's My Life deals with (you guessed it!) life and the stuff that we deal with every day. Whatever problem you're dealing with, believe it or not, other kids and teens have gone through the same thing. Here at It's My Life, you can read informative articles, share your stories, play games and activities, take quizzes and polls, watch video clips of other kids talking about their feelings and experiences, get advice from older kids and experts, and contribute your own comments and questions. It's My Life also features interviews with celebrities about stuff they had to go through when they were kids.” The site goes on to explain that, “It's My Life is organized across six topic "channels": Friends, Family, School, Body, Emotions, and Money. On this website, no subject is off-limits. Our aim is to cover issues important to you, and the site is filled with young people's comments, ideas, and questions sent in from all over the world. It's My Life is for kids, about kids, and most importantly, by kids. After all, it's YOUR life!” What a great idea and a great network for young people to go to find information about topics that are bothering them and also share their thoughts and insights to help others who are in similar situations. Chapter 7 of Meaningful Learning with Technology discusses the use and benefits of asynchronous discussion boards. It states that the 3 main advantages over synchronous communication are: First, that asynchronous communications can support discussions, debates, and collaborative efforts between people who are far apart. Second, people can reflect before they post. Third, learning can be scaffolded throughout the communication process. All of these definitely apply to “It’s My Life”. People in that preteen and early teen age group do not necessarily want to get online to talk to people who live nearby and go to school with them. This is especially true when it comes to discussing problems or highly personal issues. It is much easier to be honest when you know that the people you are talking to are not going to see you in school the next day. Being able to think before you put something out there is also a great benefit. You can reconsider and think on things before replying. Finally, being part of the "It’s My Life" community enables you to scaffold your learning for a while before contributing. It’s a great place to openly consider problems and get feedback from experts and other people your age. This website is great for verbal-linguistic learners and auditory learners. It can by used by those who are more interpersonal for sharing and getting to know more about others, and it can be used by intrapersonal learners who are dealing with something internally and having a hard time getting through it. The NETS standard that this tool applies to most directly would be standard 2, communication and collaboration. Standard 2 states, “ Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures. d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. The “It’s My Life” website really allows all of these aspects of standard 2 to be worked on.

Although this tool is mainly for student’s personal lives and therefore does not match up directly with any of the state standards for the main content areas, I still believe that teachers would find it extremely beneficial for their students to use this website. It does address issues that can affect a student’s performance in the classroom, such as how to deal with test anxiety, or why you might feel like your teacher does not like you. I think use of this website would make students more well rounded individuals outside of school which will bolster their learning and contributions that they make in school. Use of the site would assist students with meeting the Maryland Technology Literacy Standards for Students, especially Collaboration, and Safe Use since it is a monitored site.