Alexa McLain

Technology in Education
Google Scholar Assignment

Article 1:

Title: The Use of alternative social networking sites in higher educational settings: A case study of the e-
learning benefits of Ning in education

Authors: Kevin P Brady, Lori B Holcomb, Bethany V Smith

Year: 2010

URL:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=6Nk0nC4AAAAJ&citation_for
_view=6Nk0nC4AAAAJ:u-x6o8ySG0sC

Online education course popularity is expanding and the growth rate in overall enrollments for online
classes are exceeding the growth rate in the overall higher education student population during the
same period. Comparatively speaking CMS systems like Blackboard tend to be very centralized on one
idea and lack personal interaction and touch that SNS systems have. SNS has the ability to increase
engagement and encourage online community building. Although SNS has been restricted by
administrators, two educational social networking sites have emerged. Results of the study conducted
demonstrated the value of adopting SNSs in educational settings. With increased levels of
communication and collaboration in to deeper levels of reflection the benefits were apparent in the
educational world. Noncommercial options for SNSs like Ning in Education provide an exciting and new
avenue for educators that would like to utilize a social networking technology.

Article 2:

Title: What are secondary students expectations for teachers in virtual school environments?

Authors: Kevin Oliver, Jason Osborne, Kevin Brady

Year: 2009

URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jason_Osborne2/publication/249016606_What_are_secondary_
students%27_expectations_for_teachers_in_virtual_school_environments/links/55f70bfb08ae07629dbc
e652/What-are-secondary-students-expectations-for-teachers-in-virtual-school-environments.pdf

The expectations that secondary students have for virtual school teachers in the new North Carolina
Virtual Public School are numerous. With internet-based education emerging in a trend around the
world, more and more post-secondary institutions are offering more online courses. Some institutions
are only limiting these courses to the students that are unable to physically be in class due to behavioral
or physical issues, while others are not. One of the goals on NCVPS is to increase the availability of
online courses in poverty areas of North Carolina. The study has shown that some virtual school
students lack the self-directedness to succeed, thus, leaving them at a disadvantage. Expectations from
students were found to be from prior experience with online instructors or from their learning needs.
Expectations from students were for teachers to teach and not just moderate the online education. It
Alexa McLain
Technology in Education
Google Scholar Assignment
was found that a mixture of educational strategies was the best way to meet all of the expectations fo
students.

Article #3:

Title: The Influence of Salary In Attracting and Retaining School Leaders

Author: John C Pijanowski and Kevin P Brady

Year: 2009

URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Pijanowski/publication/240699810_The_Influence_of_Sala
ry_in_Attracting_and_Retaining_School_Leaders/links/57f7dbf608ae886b89836150.pdf

This article examined the trajectory of teachers as they move up the career ladder into more leadership
positions. There is in no means a shortage in the pool of candidates for leadership positions in the
education field. But it is not equal over the entire country. In some areas the candidate pool for
principals is abundant while in other areas it is hard to find anyone and you are scraping the barrel to
find someone. This is attributed largely to the geography of the area, the wealth, and the student level.
Rural schools normally have more shallow applicant pools compared to schools in areas of high
population. Research shows that the job is not all it is cracked up to be which is why there is a shortage
of applicants in the applicant pool.