Let me say this has been an important course for me to have chosen because my familiarity with most of social networking sites was minimal. I must say that it was through the combination of the readings, the hands-on-approach of setting up, investigating different features, and maneuvering through the different formats, and using other new Web 2.0 tools that I have become more comfortable. However, I think the most valuable education came from "following" everyone, previewing their book reviews, and reading the various postings, joining in discussions that I learned a great deal.
I learned the ways in which social networking can be aptly applied to a library setting, particularly the rewards and challenges that must be considered. Prior to this course, I was somewhat apprehensive about these tools, but now understand the value of the communication level that they afford. I now realize that if you want to reach the "net-gen" you need to connect with them in a variety of ways and that learning today is not about being linear...but rather through inquiry and critical thinking that require a less structured approach, and allows each person or researcher to acquire information in unique ways. Out of all the tools learned in this course, I really have begun to like the blog format and hope to convince the library media specialist I work with that this tool should somehow be incorporated in our library.
I honestly cannot venture a guess about what is to come. I feel that the privacy and copyright issues will warrant more serious investigations that may redirect how we co-exist with the Web and its formats. I have often mentioned, jokingly, that soon humans will be implanted with a computer chip upon birth, I'm not sure it is just a figment of my imagination. Someone else in class mentioned the book Feed, which is about this exact experience..I have just started reading it..!
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