Bunn - EME6414

This week focused on the difference between what constitutes a network or a community. After my explorations, I've settled on the following definitions: Network - A group of people connected through a chain of common interests/themes. Community - People you know who share a common interest/theme. Lurker - Someone on social media that acts more as an observer than a participant. Freeloader - An even more negative reference to a social media lurker. I think that in the common vernacular there is little differentiation between the use of the term network vs. community, though I think the nuances are important when you are analyzing social media in terms of its utility and effects on the individual and society. A true community is going to provide a much deeper and more valuable space to someone than a network if they are looking to develop their identity or find friendship. A network will be more useful if you are trying to reach far and make connections with those who may help you if

In chapter 3 JVD, tackles Facebook.  In this chapter he explores the created norm of sharing. He argues that this is an evolving norm, and through the popularity and size of Facebook, this platform is most responsible for this contribution to the culture of connectivity.  In terms of the technology of sharing there are two aspects. The first is connectedness and the other is connectivity. Connectedness are the traits you are familiar with. All the things that link you to those around you on the website, Connectivity is the sharing of your user data with some third party.  One particularly interesting topic is Facebooks creation of the Like button. This feature plays into the connectivity of sharing while appearing as an example of the other. On the surface when you hit the like button on goods or products it shows up on your friends feed and therefore seems you are sharing your interest within the site. However, when you click on the Like button there is also a sharing of data between

I'm currently back home riding out the quarantine at my parents. I didn't want to be trapped in my apt alone for months on end. So I packed up my cat and dog and brought them with me.  I've been here for 3 months now and in the last week, my dog has suddenly taken to adventuring. We live in a small subdivision on a lake and there is a busy road about half a mile from my house in the opposite direction. I got him fixed last week and got him micro-chipped at the same time. Two different households in our neighborhood have picked him up and taken him to get his chip read. The first lady said she had "seen him for a month," and apparently started giving him food and tried to shame me for the fact that the dog kept coming to her house and "looking forlorn." "Ma'am, the dog keeps coming to your house because you gave him food." Thanks for the problem, Lady! Anyhoo, if you see this wandering around, give me a call and either let me know you're

One of my interests is to explore the current policy landscape of social media and schools. I'm interested in working on a literature review that identifies the relevant policy actors, describes the formal social media policies at the federal, state, and local level, and the pertinent research and theory that addresses these topics. The hope is to have an annotated bibliography and a paper that I can submit to upcoming conferences.  So where to begin?  I decided to start at the Federal Level. I know that most education policy happenes at the state level, but I figured there had to be something. When you go to the U.S. Department of Education Website it doesn't take long for you to find references to the department and the individuals social media presence, but the difficult part is finding their stance, regulations, and expectations for the use of social media.  The list of social media links is rather broad: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/social-media.html The only p

This weeks topic focused on the concept of the Digital Native.The idea comes from Pensky who explained that the newest generation should be considered digital natives because they don't have memory from a time when computers, the internet, and social media were pervasive in daily life. The beginning of this group was the year 1984, and while I was born in 1983. I feel that realistically I should probably still be considered a digital native. While I do technically remember not having a computer or the internet in my house, I played video games (and still do), I remember when we got internet pretty early on, and I remember having computer access at school in some of the earliest grades. I find that I'm not afraid of technology and never really have been. When I get a new piece of technology or sign up for a new program or app, I teach myself how to use it through trial and error. When all else fails I use Google. So are the boundaries of what makes a digital native soft? Am I a

In chapter 2, van Dijck gets a little more technical. He presents definitions for various aspects of the social media construction.  Technologies included: data, metadata, algorithm, protocols, interfaces, and defaults He broke down the concepts of users and usage: " Implicit participation is the usage inscribed in the engineer's design by means of the coding mechanisms" (p.33).  " Explicit use refers to how real or actual users interact with social media" (p.33). He discuses content (text, music, or videos) and how these display the opinions of the users, the things they are interested in or want, and other social trends and consumer practices.  He describes ownership of the social media site, governance (mechanisms, communication and data traffic management), and business models and intentions of the site and how these 3 things work with the previous 3 things (content, user agency, and content) to create online sociality. Ultimately the focus of this chapter

One of the adventures I've decided to take on during this course is an additional reading of a book titled: The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media . The book is written by Jose Van Dijck (2013) with the aim to:  "offer an analytical model to elucidate how platforms have become central forces in the construction of sociality, how owners and users have helped shape and are shaped by this construction; in other words, it wants to enhance a historical understanding of social media's impact on the everyday lives of families" (p.23). She begins with an introduction of social media and defines it as a group of online applications, inspired by the ideology and foundations of Web 2.0, that focus on the generation of content by its users. The ideology behind Web 2.0 tech is focused on connectedness and a participatory culture. He identifies several types of social media: social network sites (SNS), user-generated content (UGC), trading and marketing sit

Hi everyone,  My name is Stephen Bunn and I am a second-year student in the Education Policy and Evaluation PhD program. Before coming back to continue my education, I was a high school English teacher here in Florida, where I taught for 6 years in Duval and Columbia counties. I am excited to be a part of the EPE program and to continue my education and to develop a stronger understanding of educational policy, both as it currently stands and the process of developing them to meet the needs of America’s diverse student population. After completing this program, I hope to find work that allows me collaborate with like-minded individuals to explore social, political, and economic contexts in education, and develop policies and programs that meet the needs and improve the educational experiences of all of our students. I'm currently riding out the pandemic in Lake City, FL with my family. Most of the time is spent either by the pool or hanging with my dog. His name is Bear, but I call