Your task:
A) Choose a social media technology tool, application, website, or program that you would like to investigate for this assignment. You are encouraged to choose one that we have not already used in class. Do some exploring on your own to make this decision. Think about tools you’re already aware of, ones you like or prefer to use or do a Google search to look for new ones you may not be familiar with. Or you might consider choosing one from this list of “The Top Social Networking Sites People Are Using ” https://www.lifewire.com/top-social-networking-sites-people-are-using-3486554 (Moreau, 2019).
B) Spend some time playing around with and investigating the functions of the tool. Once you’ve selected a particular social tool, spend some time actually exploring and playing around with it yourself to learn more about it, including the functions and the social capacities. Based upon what you have learned in this course, be thinking especially about the potential it holds for connected learning.
C) Start your research. Begin to conduct some “research” or a literature search for web articles, academic literature, or other information sources about the social media tool you have chosen. For your search, you can use a basic Google search, a Google Scholar search, or the UMN Digital Libraries. Enter the name of your tool as a keyword or search terms. Try a Boolean search, which will help narrow your findings. For example, include two related search terms or phrases separated by the word AND in all caps. This will yield results that include both terms and phrases.
You will need to consult and reference a minimum of FOUR credible, relevant, reliable, and current Internet sources.
The objective of this assignment:
1) Explain what the social media app/site/tool/program is and how it works to a general audience, synthesizing, and expanding upon what you found in your search for literature.
2) Critically assess and pontificate on the app/site/tool/program, emphasizing what social activities or interactions are made possible by it, what benefits/opportunities it holds for connected learning, the creative and learning practices that are made possible by it, and any challenges it presents when used for social, learning, or creative purposes.
Here are some points to help you:
– Describe the app/site/tool and why you chose it.
– Describe how it works on a functional level.
– Describe how you investigated it, what resources you used. Include some references to concepts from the article provided this week as well.
– Describe the social activities that are made possible with the tool.
– Describe the potential benefits or opportunities this app/tool holds for connected learning.
– And finally, share any other impressions or personal perspectives you have about this tool and what you believe is important for people to know. Also, share what you learned from this activity.
