Lesson: How BIG is Facebook?

A recent blog post for DP students highlights key ideas from the YouTube video, How Big is Facebook? Not only is the content highly relevant to ITGS, but it is an opportunity for students to interact with each other as they watch the 14 minute clip. This blog will not repeat the ideas stated in that student blog: How BIG is Facebook?, but will focus on how can we interact with the information presented in the video and setup a collaboration amongst students.

As the students watch videos in class, it helps them to focus their attention on particular aspects of information if they have been set specific tasks. The tasks should not involve lots of writing, be manageable along side of watching the video and not involve conversation with other students while the video is viewed.

Two tasks could be:

1. Record all of the ITGS terminology in the video. This includes IT terminology and that terminology that refers to social/ethical considerations.

2. Identify social and ethical considerations raised in the video.

Half the class might focus on one question the other half may focus on the other. Both of the questions immediately lead to further research and investigation.

The students can record their responses on paper and discuss them after the video. This could be done in small groups or as a class activity. If the students have access to their cell phones or other mobile technology, they can backchannel their responses to a Todaysmeet page while watching the video. No logins are required and posting short responses while watching the video is do-able, especially for our tech-savy students. The advantage is that the responses on TodaysMeet are digital and can be transferred to a Google docs for further comment. It is best to use two separate TodaysMeet spaces, one for each of the questions. Each student would be assigned to only one of the questions.

If there is an interactive whiteboard in the classroom, or if the students are watching the video on a computer, it is also possible to display the Todaysmeet entries as they are contributed and watch the video playing as well.

Technology now allows for ITGS students to engage with information that otherwise would not be accessible and to collaborate with each other on a common task at the same time.

Please take the time to read the It is advised that you video the video and student blog highlighting key ideas from How BIG is Facebook?