# Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 13/In the News/Peer Review Three

If someone's user name appears below, this peer review has already been "claimed" or completed. Please select another peer review slot or article.
This article has been reviewed by: scrai010
To evaluate this peer review, click on the Discussion tab above.
PEER REVIEW TEMPLATE
Use this template for your peer reviews.
DIRECTIONS:
You are required to complete TWO (2) peer reviews.
Please take your time and provide effective, helpful feedback. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours per review!
Each peer review is worth 50 points and will be "graded" by the article's author. (Click on Discussion to see the rubric the author will use to grade your peer review.)
You may only review articles written in the current semester (no articles with BOLD titles)
As instructed above, be sure to sign your peer review with four tilde ~~~~. You will not receive credit for reviews that are not signed
To complete this assignment, we suggest having two tabs/windows open in your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer): one with this peer review template and one with the article you are reviewing
Starting the DAY AFTER the peer reviews are due, you may complete ADDITIONAL peer reviews for EXTRA CREDIT (25 points each). You MAY NOT complete any Extra Credit Reviews until that time.
Part 1 - Article Components
Learning Target(s)
Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets:
Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article?
Yes
Is/are the learning target(s) specific?
Yes, but they could be more specific. Instead of saying "determine the advantages and disadvantages...", you could specify how many advantages and disadvantages the reader will be able to identify rather than just the blanket statement.
Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?)
Yes
Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.)
Yes, but the last one maybe harder to verify.
Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets?
Yes
Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them.
Comment: You might considering adding "The reader will..." before your learning targets to make them complete sentences.
Grammar and Mechanics Review
Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised.
To do this:
go back to the module page for the article
select "edit this page"
highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu)
navigate back to your peer review page
click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu)
You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier.
Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them.
PASTE TEXT HERE
Social Networking and Education
Learning Targets
By the end of this article, the reader should be able to:
-Identify what social networking is.
-Identify various methods of how social networking is used in the classroom.
-Determine the advantages and disadvantages of social networking in education.
-Recognize how social networking is being used in Virginian, American and global classrooms.
People nowadays like to be together not in the old-fashioned way of, say, mingling on the piazza of an Italian Renaissance city, but, instead, huddled together in traffic jams, bus queues, on escalators and so on. It's a new kind of togetherness which may seem totally alien, but it's the togetherness of modern technology.
J.G. Ballard
Introduction
Technology HAS become increasingly popular and effective in the classroom, despite it being a new AND CONTROVERSIAL concept. Many educators support technology in the classroom stating that it makes learning more engaging for students of the digital age, especially the interaction of Web 2.0. Technology makes it possible for students to communicate with other students of different cultures around the world, creating a diverse classroom. However, there are also educators who disagree with the integration of technology and education, claiming that it distracts students fro despite m learning. Critics RAISE the issue that many schools cannot afford to have a large technology integration or program. REGARDLESS OF these arguments, social networking is extremely popular among students with millions of users interacting every day, from all over the world. This provides an opportunity for educators to use sites built for communicating among friends, into sites where students can communicate with other students about education.
What Is Social Networking and How Does It Work In the Classroom?
Many people in AMERICA have most likely heard of the term “social networking” or have heard of a site that does social networking, but do not know what exactly social networking is. Social networking is a community where family, friends, and colleagues connect online. People discuss COUNTLESS TOPICS, ranging from how their day WAS to career field discussions. Since social networking sites are online, users are diverse in age, gender, race and culture. HOWEVER, many, if not most, of the PEOPLE who use social networking SITES consist of middle school, high school and college-age students spending as much time social networking as THEY DO watching television. With the majority of users being in an educational setting, it provides an opportunity for teachers to making learning engaging and interactive.
One of the most important aspects that an educator can teach is that learning can take place inside and outside of a classroom. Learning is a lifelong process, and if students recognize this, they gain a BROADER lesson from their teacher than in a textbook. Social networking makes IT possible for CLASSROOMS TO connect and FOR STUDENTS TO learn outside of the classroom. Teachers are already using emails and websites to keep their students informed with notices, notes, projects, exams and assistance. While EMAIL and classroom websites can be informative for students and their parents, social networking allows students and teachers to use what they have learned in the classroom, apply their knowledge, and display it to their peers, no matter where they are physically located. The versatility of social networking permits educators to use any subject and making it engaging for all students. For example, many teachers would enjoy bringing a real-life scientist in their classroom but cannot because of availability and financial reasons. These teachers could use Facebook for their class to have a live discussion with the scientist. Students are given an engaging experience without the limitations of finance, time and geography.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking
Although social networking is still somewhat of a new concept, research has shown that there are many advantages of using it in the classroom. Students who live in rural areas or are unable to attend their school of choice because of geography are now able to receive a high-quality education through social networking and virtual schools. Classroom would also become learning environments with global diversity. Sister schools around the world would be able to communicate with each other in real-time, ALLOWING students to gain a perspective of their world through learning. There are also advantages for educators using social networking. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future has developed Teacher Linked In Networked Communities, which is an initiative to have teachers feel part of their community through social networking and become part of a diverse “learning team”. These networks would be a new approach to professional development where educators would discuss feedback, new ideas, and instructional strategies with colleagues. Besides being used for building knowledge, social networking sites have also been used to strengthen the relationship between students and teachers. Alyssa Trzeszkowski-Giese, a high school English teacher from James W. Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, discovered that Facebook helped put a “face” not only on her students, but on herself as well.
Social networking has shown many beneficial factors to improve education for children, however there are also many setbacks. One of the first issues schools always address is “Can we afford this?” While Massachusetts school districts actually benefit financially from virtual education, others like Florida schools district cannot. Florida school districts and many other cannot afford to spend their budget on computer and internet access for all students and teachers. Another major issue of social networking is that schools are now connected to students constantly, forcing them to TAKE disciplinary action when students do negative public actions, such as underage drinking, and cyberbullying, which is the verbal attacking people online. The internet allows people to remain anonymous to some extent, resulting in people saying things they would most likely not say in person. The Internet provides open communication between students and educators, but it also forces teachers and administration to set THEIR boundaries. Just as teachers have to set limits in the classroom, they must also do the same online by putting a limited amount of personal information on their user pages. Teachers also have to consider what age group they may want to interact with, for example, A fifth grade TEACHER may be hesitant to have students who are in third or seventh grade interact with her students online.
Unanswered Questions
Educators, school administrations, students, communities, and researchers have raised and determined many questions about social networking and how it is used in the classroom. However, there are still many questions that still need to be answered:
Current and pre-service educators are learning how to integrate technology into the lessons. With social networking becoming more prominent, what other aspects should they learn?
Are the schools right to resist technology in the classroom, or are students correct that they can benefit from the integration?
Policies are being developed to prevent cyberbullying, but can cyberbullying really be stopped by students?
Financially speaking, is it better for students to attend school online, or in an actual building?
With social networking and technology eliminating the problem of geography and physical location of meeting people, is this the end the traditional brick-and-mortar school?
Quiz
Point added for a correct answer:
Points for an incorrect answer:
Ignore the questions' coefficients:
1
Question: What is social networking?
An interactive television channel with shows and content from the Internet.
Social networking is a community where family, friends, and colleagues connect online.
A strategy business people use to gain more customers and business partners.
A business conference where people discuss the latest mobile devices.
2
Question: The least effective way of using social networking in the classroom is:
Discussing the Civil War on LiveJournal.
Creating a story by thousands of students on Twitter.
Reading an online literary review.
Having a video chat with a doctor on Facebook.
3
Question: Ms. Jordan has a classroom Facebook account for her 6th grade class. One of her students posted a picture of himself and several other students drinking at a party. Ms. Jordan should...
Report the picture to administration for appropriate disciplinary action.
Not report the picture to administration but give the students disciplinary action.
Not give the students disciplinary action but remove the picture from the page.
Not give the students disciplinary action and leave the picture on the page.
4
Question: An advantage of social networking is:
Forces schools to set online boundaries.
Cyberbullying.
Cost of online learning.
Students and teachers can collaborate around the world.
References
Ash, Katie. (2008, June 25). Educators Test the Limits of Twitter Microblogging Tool. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Education Week: Digital Directions: http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/24/01twitter_web.h02.html
Ash, Katie. (2009, March 16). Experts Debate Cost Saving of Virtual Education. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Education Week: http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/18/25online.h28.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/18/25online.h28.html&levelId=2100
Davis, Michelle. R. (2008, June 9). Classroom Connections. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Education's Week: Digital Connections: http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/09/01networks_side.h02.html?qs=social+networking
Davis, Michelle. R. (2008, June 9). Friend or Foe? Balancing the Good and Bad of Social-Networking Sites. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Education Week: http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/06/09/01networks.h02.html
Manzo, Kathleen. (2009, April 7). Students See Schools Inhibiting Their Use of New Technologies. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Educaiton Week: http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/24/27digital.h28.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/24/27digital.h28.html&levelId=2100
Sawchuk, Stephen. (2008, August 21). Sites Mimicking Social Networks Set Up for Staff Development. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Education Week: http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/08/21/01network.h28.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/08/21/01network.h28.html&levelId=2100
Trzeszkowski-Giese, Alyssa. (2007, November 12). A Facebook Education. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from Teacher Magazine: source=http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/11/12/giese_first_web.h19.html&destination=http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2007/11/12/giese_first_web.h19.html&levelId=1000
Answers
1. B, 2. C, 3. A, 4. D
Rate This!
Sources
For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.)
.1 popular- opinion
.2 popular- opinion
.3 popular- opinion
.4 popular- opinion
.5 popular- opinion
.6 popular- opinion
.7 popular- opinion
List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 2007-2009
Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article:
Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? yes and use at least 2 scholarly sources? no
Are the citations in APA format? yes
Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation:
Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007).
Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34).
Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"? yes
Here is an example of a reference written in APA format:
Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3.
Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? No, all but one are from the same source.
Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? not specifically
Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? yes
Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve.
Comment:
To help with the credibility of your article, you should considering varying your sources a bit more. All but one of your sources are from the same place. This will also help you present a more balanced prospective.
Multiple Choice Questions
What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)?
Question 1 knowledge
Question 2 application
Question 3 application
Question 4 knowledge
Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions.
Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? yes
Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? yes
Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? yes
Do the questions assess the learning target? yes
Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? yes
Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? yes
Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? no
Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? yes
Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s.
Comment:
The second question seems a bit opinion based, you might considering revising the question.
Part 2 - Ratings
LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria.
Importance:
I rated this article 3 for importance because... it does contain relevant information, but it does not represent a thorough understanding of the topic.
Interest:
I rated this article 3 on interest because... The sidebar contains relevant information, only a few novel ideas, and some of the points were not adequately explained.
Credibility:
I rated this article 3 for credibility because... Although there are more than sufficient sources, all but one were from the same popular magazine. Also there were not scholarly sources. This leads to bias, and does not represent both sides of the topic adequately enough. There is no parenthetical citation used throughout the article.
Writing skill:
I rated this article 2 on writing because... Many sentences were awkward, and needed more sentence structure variation. (Repeated however, also, and despite - vary your word choice.) There seemed to be lacking explanations throughout the article, and it did not really grab the readers attention.
HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article.
To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold
Wiki Article Rubric
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student?
Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know
Based on researched information.
Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education)
Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues.
Includes ideas relevant to future teachers
Mostly based on researched information.
Applicable to today’s schools
Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas
A couple useful points; some irrelevant information
About half of the information is the author’s opinion.
Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice
Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues
One useful point
A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion.
Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools.
Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing.
Information is not relevant to future teachers.
Information is entirely the author’s opinion.
The information is obsolete.
Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How interesting was the article to read?
Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view
Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read
Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed
Mostly new information/ideas
Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented.
Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples.
Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic
Visuals add to the article
At least two perspectives were presented
About half of the information/ideas are new
Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated
Some good points are made and explained.
Sidebar includes new information related to the topic.
Visuals are included but have minimal effect
One interesting or new perspective is presented
A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information
Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented.
Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained.
Sidebar repeats what is already in the article
Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included
Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented.
One new idea or bit of information
Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented
At least one clear point is made and supported.
No side bar included.
Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content
No perspective is acknowledged.
Nothing new.
No analysis or interpretation included
No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How credible do you think the information is?
Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format.
Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate.
Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions
Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors
Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others.
It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact.
Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors.
A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable.
The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact.
Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used
Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases.
Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed.
All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How well do you think this article was written?
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4)
Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals
Captures and maintains attention throughout
All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained
Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points.
Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals
Captures attention initially and periodically throughout
Most of the cited information is discussed or explained.
The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points
Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals
Parts of the article capture attention
About half of the cited information is discussed
A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors.
4 multiple-choice questions are included.
Learning targets generally related to the content are stated
At least one part of the article is interesting
Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation.
Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors.
Questions are missing or not multiple-choice.
Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets
Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention
Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources.
Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content.
Part 3 - "2+2"
List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content
Hints:
Focus on the work, not the person
Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..."
Compliments
. The article has more than the minimum number of sources.
. Good explanation of Social Networking.
Suggestions
.In The News
Special Feature Article: In the News
This special feature article will present current events related to the chapter topic. It will provide brief summaries of recent reports in the news media that discuss research, laws, litigation (court cases), classroom practice, films, book releases, events, etc. related to the chapter topic. The article may also link to articles in newspapers, magazines, Internet sites, etc. where the reports can be found.
Article format:
Introduction: 1 paragraph introduction to the chapter topic and a general report of the media's focus on associated issues.
Several 1-2 paragraph summaries of (and links to) reports in the media. Any key terms mentioned in the summaries should be explained. For example, if a report discusses the opening of a new charter school, the summary should describe what a charter school is.
Conclusion: 1-2 paragraph synthesis of the current events related to the topic. What is currently happening in VA, the US, the world on this topic? What should current and future teachers be looking for in the months ahead.
Remember that the "In the News" article must also include all the features required in Wikibook articles generally: title, author, learning target(s), sidebar, 5 sources, 4 multiple-choice questions, and include about 1000-words of original text.
Be sure to reread the description of the assignment. There are supposed to be summaries of recent news articles given in this article.
Be sure to vary your sources not only to bolster the credibility of the article but also to avoid bias. News links would be a good way to do this. You should make sure to cite your references in your article otherwise the reader will not know whether information represents your opinion or actual fact that has been documented.
You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article. :