According to Roy Pea's "Distributed Intelligence" explication, learning does not simply occur cognitively inside our head. Learning includes social reasoning and intelligence. Learning occurs collectively, socially, when we are gathered and interactive (Pea, 1993).
Pea recommends four environments useful for augmenting our learning. Each of the four mentioned below, underscore the importance of social networking as a viable platform for learning.
1. Augmenting intelligence with computing - simulation.
2. Augmenting intelligence with guided participation - collaborative interpretation.
3. Augmenting intelligence with inscriptional systems - written symbols of language, math, science.
4. Augmenting intelligence with situated cognition - contextual application of knowledge.
We've come a long way in just the last three years. Blogging was the ultimate tool for teachers to encourage dialogue in the classroom. However, innovations like SMS and Twitter are changing the game-board on which we play and should be equally included in the lesson planning strategies. Facebook is only ONE social networking application receiving a lot of attention from the education world. (posted 3/4/10)
References
Pea, Roy (1993). Practices of distributed intelligence and designs for education. In G. Salomon (Ed.). Distributed cognitions. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 47-87.
