These are the articles I examined-
Ferdig, R. E., (Editorial: Examining Social Software in Teacher Education (2007)
Weaver, A. C., & Morrison, B. B., Social Networking (2008)
Bolan, K., Canada, M., & Cullin, R., Web, Library, and Teen Services 2.0
Reading the articles about social media this afternoon has really helped me to understand more about what they really encompass. I am completely overwhelmed when it comes to technology and I have never visited a Facebook or Myspace page other than looking over someone else’s shoulder while they had one open. I found it quite interesting that during the Virginia Tech mass murder university officials and police used conventional radios and telephones as they attempted to manage the incident. Students, however, were quickly e-mailing each other and Facebook was a widely used method for people to let others know what was going on and if they were safe. On another note, I found it quite interesting that legal authorities and school officials have used information on sites such as Facebook as evidence of illegal activities.
Reading about libraries providing video gaming services was a surprise to me. The fact that gaming is considered a literacy activity is not something I fully understand. However, it would appear that something which seems to be extremely inviting for so many young people should be explored as a means of education.
The story about a professor checking a student’s Facebook site and seeing them scantily dressed with multiple people and obviously under the influence of something is exactly the strange and shocking type of occurrence which I believe keeps some people away from exploring the social media available on the web.