Social media is newest buzzword when talking about Web 2.0. The consumer becomes an active participant in the online community, not just a passive observer. Consumers vote on news stories, create blogs, build social networks and upload videos and pictures. (Davies, 2007)
I have learned a lot about what this thing called “SOCIAL MEDIA” is in the last few months. I created a Myspace and a Facebook over two years ago because my students kept asking me if I had one. Since then, I have been hooked. FB has given me the opportunity to connect with people from my past that I hadn’t heard from in fifteen (or more) years. Now I am a part of their lives on a regular basis. When I was upset about my surgery and recovery a few weeks ago, I posted it on FB and received communications and notes from people I knew who had been through the same thing. To be honest, FB was my lifeline during my recovery. I was able to communicate with people while I sat at home alone. I was able to connect with people who had my same struggles. I was able to use the Blog feature to reveal the painful struggle I was dealing with; even if no one read it, I was able to let it out in a public forum and it helped. Most importantly, I was able to play games like Yoville and Farm Town to keep myself busy and not focusing on my emotions and what my body was going through at the time.
This year I began a Twitter, primarily to be used with my classroom. I have given my username to parents and students but have had very few responses as of yet. Maybe, when I go back to work on Wednesday, people will be more apt to follow me because then I will be talking about school related stuff. Maybe the idea of a teacher on Twitter is more than some of my parents can handle. I don’t know, either way I will continue to update it daily, when I update the homework on my school website. Hopefully, the vision will catch on.
Davies, G. (2007, August 21). Social media: dig, myspace, youtube- web 2.0 interview. Ecommerce Rocks. Posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsxvXgpNQik&feature=related
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