This document discusses social networking sites for ELT professionals. It defines key terms like instructional technology, educational technology, social networks, and personal learning networks. It provides examples of popular social networking sites and platforms for educational purposes like Twitter, SlideShare, and Edmodo. It also outlines some concerns and guidelines for using social media sites professionally, such as maintaining appropriate boundaries with students and only sharing content you don't mind the world seeing.

1. Social Networking Sites for
ELT Professionals
Twitter ID: @Tweet4education Ismail Fayed
Ismailfayed [at] yahoo.com ESL Teacher
www.edunile.net TESOL Arabia Webmaster

2. Outline
• Social Networking Sites (SNS) for ELT purposes.
• Instructional Technology vs. Ed. Tech.
• Social networks vs. social network services
• Social networks vs. personal learning networks
• Examples
• Concerns

3. A. Instructional Technology vs. Ed. Tech.
“The theory and practice of design, development,
utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and
resources for learning… as a part of educational
technology” – The Association for Educational Communications and
Technology (AECT)
“While instructional technology covers the processes and
systems of learning and instruction, educational technology
includes other systems used in the process of developing
human capability.” – Wikipedia (2010)
http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/its/black/_borders/top.ht1.jpg

4. Tech Talk!
Technology
o Educational Technology
• Instructional Technology
 VLEs, CMSs, etc
 Social Networking
 Web 2.0 & web 3.0
 Virtual worlds
 What’s next?!

5. http://cstrips.bitstrips.com/44b3dd0595b5abe6d76ede4a22ea7e37.png

6. Sociology: Social Networks
A social network is a social structure made of individuals
(or organizations) called "nodes" which are connected by
one or more specific types of interdependency (e.g.
friendship, kinship, financial exchange, dislike, sex, or
relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.)
First used in a systematic way in1954 by J. A. Barnes.
It was used in other fields like anthropology,
communication studies, computer studies, and many
more.
Photo credit: Konstantinos
Kokkinis

7. Social Network Services/websites
Is the missing link between Web 1.0 & Web 2.0
Building and reflecting on social relations among PEOPLE
The ‘social’ aspect is highlighted through new and emerging
interaction technologies (e.g. group messaging, online
communities, etc.)
It is mostly ‘web-based’
Free
User-friendly
Popular!

8. “Social networking is in its infancy and I’m
guessing it will become as widespread as
email,”*
*Richard Kimber,
Google’s former managing director for South Asia

9. Social Constructivism Theory of Learning
- Piaget (1960)
Learning by doing … & playing
Humans develop knowledge from their own experiences
Human assimilate and accommodate to ‘construct’ their own
knowledge
The learner is a unique individual with unique needs &
background (context)
The learner has to be active, responsible & motivate
The teacher is rather a facilitator
Atherton (2009)

10. A social network vs. a personal learning network?
Members in social networks  must be actually ‘social’
Personal learning network  can simply be acquiring
info without contributing in return
Alan Levine (2007)

11. Examples?

12. B.
SNS & Models
CMS (TACON Online 2010 & Moodle)
Social Networking Websites
Twitter.com
Slideshare.com
Wave.Google.com
Google documents (doc.goolge.ae)
pbwiki.com
Ning.com
Teachertube.com
Avatar (3D) Worlds
Second life

13. Taconference Initial Plan

14. http://TAconference.org

15. TESOL Arabia Conference Online 2010

17. TESOL Arabia on Twitter

18. Edmodo or Twitter?
http://www.slideshare.net/egermann/using-edmodo-in-the-classroom

19. Slideshare your presentation

20. Google Wave: a new generation..

21. SNS Networks Concepts
Network Represents
Slideshare PowerPoint
Twitter Mobile SMS
Google Documents & Pbwiki Office Applications, Surveys, Collaborative
spaces, etc.
Ning, edublogs Teachers’ room!
Teachertube TV & Mobile vides
Google wave Email
Moodle, BB, WebCT Virtual Classrooms
Avatar worlds Advanced Virtual reality/ simulation

22. Avatars.. Second Life
http://www.slideshare.net/nnoakes/virtual-worlds-and-language-learning

23. C.
Issues & Concerns
privacy

24. Guidelines for Educators Using Social
and Educational Networking Sites
Use Educational networking sites rather than just social
networking sites (e.g. teachertube vs. youtube)
When online, maintain your professional image all the time in
your communications and media sharing with students,
parents, or others.
It is important to maintain a professional relationship with
students to avoid relationships that could cause bias in the
classroom. (Don’t grant your students access to your personal
network)
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/20/networking-
guidelines-revised.html

25. Guidelines for the use of social networking sites
by professional staff Hegna & Johnson (2009).
Do not accept students as friends on personal SNS. Decline any student-
initiated friend requests.
Do not initiate friendships with students
Remember that people classified as “friends” have the ability to download and
share your information with others.
Post only what you want the world to see. Imagine your students, their parents,
your administrator, visiting your site. On a SNS, basically once you post
something it may be available, even after it is removed from the site.
Do not discuss students or coworkers or publicly criticize school policies or
personnel.
Visit your profile’s security and privacy settings. At a minimum, educators
should have all privacy settings set to “only friends”. “Friends of friends” and
“Networks and Friends” open your content to a large group of unknown
people. Your privacy and that of your family may be a risk.

26. Guidelines for the use of educational networking
sites by professional staff
Hegna & Johnson (2009).
Let your administrator, fellow teachers and parents know about your
educational network.
When available, use school-supported networking tools.
Do not say or do any thing that you would not say or do in as a teacher
in the classroom.
Have a clear statement of purpose and outcomes for the use of the
networking tool. Establish a code of conduct for all network
participants.
Do not post images that include students without parental release forms
on file.
Pay close attention to the site's security settings and allow only approved
participants access to the site.
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/20/networking-guidelines-revised.html

27. References
ATHERTON J S (2009) Learning and teaching; constructivism in learning. Retrieved:
Jan. 2010, from: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/
constructivism.htm
Barnes, J. A. Class and committees in a Norwegian island parish", Human Relations
7:39-58
Garrison, R. & Anderson. T. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for
Research and Practice. Routledge.
Piaget, J. (1983). Piaget's theory. In P. Mussen (ed). Handbook of Child Psychology.
4th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Wiley.
Hegna, J. & Johnson, D. (2009). Guidelines for Educators Using Social and Educational
Networking Sites. The Blue Skunk Blog. Retrieved: Jan. 2010, from: http://doug-
johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/20/networking-guidelines-revised.html
Levine, A. (2007). Social networking for teachers. Retrieved: Jan. 2010, from: http://
socialnetworking4teachers.wikispaces.com
Wikipedia website (2010). Instructional Technology. Retrieved: Jan. 2010, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructional_technology