The Read/Write Web has the ability to connect students with resources from around the world. Students are able to immerse themselves into the content by being contributors to the shared learning experience. I envision students using connective technologies to collaborate in a professional manner with their peers, teachers and professionals within the business field.
It is my job to demonstrate the advantages of how technology can be utilized in their professional lives. LinkedIn is a valuable tool for students to build a network of professionals to prepare themselves for their careers. Using this app in the classroom will allow for students to experience what it’s like to use connective technologies in a positive productive manner. Students are familiar with similar technologies in their daily personal lives, but many of them lack guidance in using them.
Today’s students have more knowledge at their fingertips than any other time in history! Both the learning environment and technology are forever changing. Therefore, it is essential that I am keeping up with the technologies that students are using in their daily lives. Instead of viewing this as disruptions, we need to find ways to incorporate these into our instruction in order to reach our students.
Biz Teacher's Blog 
Justin –
I totally agree that students know about the technology and can figure it out but are not as savvy on the uses of that technology in the professional, or for that matter the education, world. We do need to educate them on best practices for these tools. I also agree that we need to incorporate these tools into our instruction but only as actual tools not just for the sake of using technology!
Chris
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Demonstrating and modeling how technology can be used professionally is key. So many students spend so much time on different types of gadgets, but I wonder how productive they are. Most time is spent on entertainment. They are quite gifted at finding their way around games and Netflix. I’d love to see that energy spill into other, more productive areas! The classroom is a perfect setting for that!
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Justin-
I think it’s great that you are preparing your students to use technology that they will need to use in the professional world. Living in the D.C. area, having a LinkedIn profile is so important, so many recruiters use this as their primary tool for finding new hires.
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Justin,
I really like the idea of having students use LinkedIn. Most people wait until they are looking for a job to create a profile. However, developing a profile at a younger age can help students network and create connections that lead to more job opportunities and success in the future.
Tom
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