I guess I would label myself as a Visiting Resident in terms of social networking. Historically, I have been more of a Visitor. I log in to get information, do what I need to do, and then slip away so no one knows I was there. I research and read, stealing knowledge along the way. Isn't that all you need it for.....? At least that was my thinking, then.
MySpace came along and that was fun...Resident Card approved! I posted, added pictures, and commented on others pages. Hello old friends! I even created a MySpace just for my students!
Soooo....that got old and time-consuming. I decided to stick with visiting; I did not visit MySpace so often. Wait, what? Facebook? Okay, let me see....hmm...MySpace, renamed. Okay, let's reconfigure. Hello, again, old friends! Post, post, post, comment, like...where's the "Don't Like" button?? Teacher Facebook - created! Sweet!!! Aaaa....no, I didn't see her post, haven't been on much lately, been busy....Resident Card put back away. Hellllloooo, again, grad school!! Blogging?? I joke about it, but I've never actually done it...do I look like I have time to read others' random thoughts? I don't even have time to write down my own! Twittering? No, thanks. I'll text people when I feel like it. No, seriously, not interested. I am NOT having my phone blown up with a bunch of people's random thoughts. I love her to death, but my friends twits things like, "Sitting at a red light for forever! Where's the green???" Pass. I like being a visitor; I take my passport whenever I go, but I don't have to stay or pay taxes.
Well, hello to you, Mr. Social Networking-Technology Genius Professorman! Wait, I can get tweets from CNN?? Well, now, that's cool! Connect with the rest of the world? Twittering is NOT just to hear celebrity nonsense? Well, that's a Twitter I just might be interested in.
I pulled my Resident Card back out. Feeling pretty excited about leaving my mark in the social world! I started a blog and website last summer for my alumni students. It was awesome while it lasted. I posted all the time and as more people added, the conversations became pretty engaging. I even gave it a school theme, naming my blogs after periods of the school day (e.g., Extra Credit, Recess, Period 1: Education). I need to get back to that. I'm still getting comfortable with using Twitter; I am definitely not where I'd like to be. I'm sure it's easy as pie, I just need to sit down and play with it more. Web 2.0 tools are hard for me to learn. For example, figuring out how to add a Revolving Map proved more difficult than I originally thought. I definitely need more patience, and thus, need to set aside more time to sit down and the computer and figure things out. Thank goodness for YouTube videos that show you what to do!
As I continue to grow in my profession I understand the need to become more visible and comfortable on the web. I will definitely get there and I am truly excited about it. Who knows....maybe I'll go for my Citizenship one day.
Kiki,
ReplyDeleteI love you!!! I am so glad you are in the group...love your response!!
You are so authentic...I love it! I look forward to working with you and learning with and from you.
Thank you for your help on Tuesday, it won't be the last time.
I never really thought about the way I use sites on the internet so this really got me thinking:
ReplyDeleteAs a college student, the internet to me is a very critical tool to my studies. However i feel that because it is so convenient, it is pulling away me and a lot of people away from the traditional written word. I mean sure its fun to troll on the internet and read interesting news, play fun games, recently I have been fascinated by the upcoming trend of internet memes (very entertaining at times) but you cant compare that to the distraction free part of reading a good ol' book. Getting lost in a fascinating story about murder and conspiracies (still totally in love with Da VInci Code)cant be topped by anything found on the internet. An encyclopedia wont have pop ups or advertisement so theoretically one can finish research a lot faster, but why do we choose a virtual information source rather than one that engages us much more intellectually?
Granted that the internet makes things a whole lot easier and sometimes we just don't have the time to travel to a library or a bookstore to find what we are looking for. So i guess in this case, it all boils down to a responsible use of the internet. The use of sites like Twitter and Facebook are meant for people to connect with friends, loved ones, and professional acquaintances, however right now all i see are posts about love, heartbreak, teen drama, etc. I do associate the latter with my age group and the people in them, but no one ever cares to post an article they have read that interest them, unless its about a celebrity, but you cant expect to believe that there is not much care for things like the Occupy movement, or the Presidential race, or even, the status of the California and National Budget. Does no one care? Or do they choose not to find out?
Woah now I'm firing on all cylinders Im thinking about so many things right now! Its kind of exciting and overwhelming at the same time! Must take a break...I hope what i wrote down made sense. I will continue to create my own blog now...I will respond to my thoughts on this post.
P.S: DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE NEW BOURNE MOVIE?!?!