My thinking over the semester | W12 Q2 | Forum

I think this semester I have expanded my thoughts on what social media is and what it can be for students, schools, and researchers. This semester I’ve had a chance to think more deeply on the uses of social media in different settings and some of the affordances, constraints, and considerations of social media as a support for learning. For example, revisiting the Kozma and Clark debate made me think of how we could be overlooking some of the affordances of technology like Clark did in the 1980s. I see social media as one of those things that I hadn’t thought so deeply about, and I don’t want to be a “Clark” with a narrow minded view of the possibilities of social media in education and beyond. on the other hand my thoughts that were reinforced, are those about the implementation of social media in classrooms or contexts with children. The task is important and monumental and must be done cautiously, with careful consideration of all of the factors and influences that come with implementation. This week’s readings really helped reinforce that careful implementation with these considerations is the right way to go. We shouldn’t shy away from integrating social media, instead we should decidedly support the responsible use of it.