Interesting to see Twitter at the top of the list as far as learning tools used in 2012. I guess I haven't dove into twitter enough to really find out how much information is available through that social media outlet. 

Derek Jeter anyone???
This guy is one of my all time favorite baseball players, a true role model for the game and an outstanding player. Just to sit back and watch 3 minutes of Jeter's all time highlights its pretty cool. He has such grace and control while he plays but is also  aggressive and plays hard. 

So far our Kin 710 class has incorporated a number of social media and technology outlets. I personally don't regularly use many of the social media plugs or utilize all this new technology to their fullest potential but I was intrigued with the creating your own podcast project. What a useful tool for communicating to students, fans, players, family etc. The most relieving part of the whole podcasting journey was the easy navigation and use of the garage band application. Such a cool program and I felt very able when it came to implementing audio and voice recordings into one. 

For most people that know me they already have realized I am not a technology wizard. My skills in the realm of social media and technology are definetely below the norm I would say. But in my own defense I am making strides in the right direction especially with the help of my Kin 710 class "Technology in Kineisiology". With the help of this class I am being exposed to exciting new ways to teach and communicate in our education system with the use of podcast and iPods. 

https://www.facebook.com/SonomaCountyRebels13uBaseballTeam?skip_nax_wizard=true

I have decided to go with the Storify.com website for my personal learning website. I really don't know much about this kind of technology but I am interested in finding out more.  I am looking forward to being able to access news from sites like yahoo on a much more direct basis. 

http://storify.com/Coach_Babin

The idea of being linked in or plugged into the world of technology is concerning to me. I see the many benefits of having technology and infinite information at our fingertips with just a click of a button but I also see some of the negative effects. Speaking on behalf of personal experience I have noticed a change in the way kids and young adults act. I see more and more people in social settings grabbing a bite to eat or drinking coffee at the local starbucks and they are not engaged in conversation with eachother but rather plugged into their iphone or android device tweeting and text to someone else. I find this act highly offensive and think it is rude when you are with someone who is more interested in facebook than the person right in front of them. 

Personally I feel like I am caught in the middle of this cultural shift. I myself have an iphone and would consider myself plugged in to a certain extent but I still feel like a throwback in  a sense. I do not find technological devices particularly relaxing interactions. Maybe its because I am behind in this whole technology thing but I don't mind not being cutting edge. I think being able to carry on conversations with others face to face and having the ability to focus on the task at hand makes me more human.......... Being more human doesn't make me a better person than others who are consistently plugged in but I think there is something to be said about sticking to your roots and not being consumed by social media and technology.

Another reservation I have about this whole notion of "generation always on" is the fact that computer software companies have so much invested in this new generation. Many of the comments from these organizations focus on the future and the possibilities for the human brain to be linked in to such a vast array of knowledge. All I am saying is these companies see dollar signs and don't necessarily care about what is best for the people (that's just my opinion).

The use of social networking sites in the world of academia has been very beneficial not only to students but also to educators. Social networking has allowed teachers to reach their students in ways never before possible. There is no denying the fact that this generation as well as future generations will continue to be heavily involved in the social networking arena. The transfer of information has exponetially exploded since the development of sites like facebook and twitter. Kids and adults use these social networking sites with high frequency on a daily basis. The future will most certianly be heavily involved with social networking sites. Here are my pros and cons of social networking in Undergraduate Education: