Speed dating?

There is no doubt that we live in an increasingly fast paced world. I believe that there is more emphasis on people furthering their career and as a result, less on being in a relationship. I believe that online dating sites are so appealing to people now is because it allows people to meet and form a connection without really requiring a lot of time commitment. However there are a lot of setbacks with online dating sites. The most interesting problem I learning about was the hyperpersonal effect defined by the ABC article, Does Online Dating Work? as “a tendency to idealize people based on the bits and pieces of information they share.”  I believe this is a major problem with my generation. I have personally known people who have met someone online only to be disappointed when they actually meet in person.

After reading a post by Emily H in the class stating that the reason younger people don’t use online dating sites anymore is probably because we have more means of meeting people. Emily H states “We still have lots of different ways to meet people, in classes, out on the weekends, clubs and RSO's, and even after college while we are starting our new careers.” Meeting people in these times of situations would eliminate the hyperpersonal effect so I started thinking of other ways to eliminate this effect. I looked up common ways of meeting people and came across a site that suggested speed dating (http://www.ehow.com/info_8246995_other-people-besides-online-dating.html) as an option.

I believe that speed dating is a great alternative to online dating. It still requires little time for those of us who are busy with work, school, ect. However, speed dating eliminates the hyperpersonal effect since two people meet right away and false expectations decrease and there can be no idealization one what a person looks like. I am a big believer in personal chemistry and the only way to see if there is any connection between two people is to meet in person. Speed dating allows this without allowing an individual to falsely fantasize about someone. I posted a discussion on speed dating to see what other classmates thought about it. Anthony M brought up a good point and stated that speed dating may have some issues because there is such short time (or window) to actually connect with a person. A few other classmates also brought up a good point that speed dating is based a lot on physical appearance and therefore is not an effective means of meeting people. I believe though that physical appearance is important in a relationship and it is better to find out if one is attracted to a person at the very beginning rather than forming a relationship online and being disappointed when they meet. If I had to use any dating venue (online or not) I would be most comfortable with speed dating.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/online-dating-work/story?id=12896317

http://www.internet-romance.org/research/thesis/the-hyperpersonal-effects-of-computer-mediated-communication

Using SNS in the classroom

As a Chemistry Education major, I am always interested in how I can use technology in the classroom. It is important to keep in mind that the use of technology should not only be used to enhance a lesson but also as a way to capture and engage students. Even though I fairly comfortable and know about a lot of social networking sites (SNS), I have never given using them in classroom any thought. Reading the articles assigned this week, I was able to look more into the idea of effectively using SNS in the classroom.

According to the article, Benefits of Facebook Friends, using SNS increases social capital. High social capital can lead to many positive social outcomes. As a future high school teacher, I know that teaching lasting social skills is just as important as teaching the actual content. For this reason, after learning about all the benefits of using SNS, I can see how useful it can be using these is the classroom. However, it is also important to remember that high school students may not have the maturity to handle SNS in a school environment. I believe that if I were to use a SNS like Facebook, students would be comfortable using it and good discussions would also likely take place. On the other hand, the SNS would have to monitored on a constant basis to make sure the discussions continued to appropriate. Overall, however, I believe that SNS would be a great way to engage students in a more unconventional way.  It would also be a good way to make sure that what is being taught is being taught in a way that is keeping up with technological advances.

Chances are though that the school administration is not going to be on board with using a site like Facebook since most schools still have this site blocked. For this reason, I wanted to look into another way of tapping into the student’s interest in Facebook. I came across what is called “Fakebook.” It is a site that has been made for educational purposes. Facebook profiles are created for various historical figures. They write statuses about what was happening around the time they were alive, or any major contribution they made. They are also “friends” with other historical figures at the time and they have conversations with each other. I found this extremely interesting because it is a different way of teaching historical events in a fun, humorous way and a way that high school students would enjoy.

I believe it is extremely important to teach in ways that students will have an incentive to engage in learning. I am constantly looking up ways to use technology in a fun way. After learning about SNS, I believe they can be effective in the classroom.