I have said multiple times and to multiple people that I want to write my dissertation on the use of social media in education. The past few weeks may have changed all of that in a big way. Before I get to the core of this post, I want to take a few minutes and tell you a story.

I gave a presentation to a class on Wednesday. The class focuses on using electronic texts in First Year Composition. I took the course last spring and it opened my eyes to the things that I could do in my own classes. This was the class that set me on my path to a potential dissertation topic. So, when the current professor of the course asked me to present on blogs in the classroom, I jumped on the chance. Honestly, I did this for three reasons. It gave me a chance to further show off my research to a professor who I want to be on my dissertation committee (she now is). It also gave me the chance to try out some new things in presentations; I got to use a YouTube video in my presentation for the first time. But most importantly, it gave me a chance to present a good idea to a group of new teachers. This last one was the most important.

I spend a lot of time in the office working with our first year teachers and helping them along as a mentor would. I never would have thought of this role developing into anything else when I took on my first mentoring role. But now, I have three teachers who come to me for guidance when they need it (and two more who call from out of state on occasion).

Yesterday, I sat down and had a conversation with these first year teachers. They were all saying the same thing–they loved the presentation, but they still weren’t comfortable using blogs in their classroom. Now, keep in mind that these are the same people who are the core of the technology workshops that I am starting in the office. I reminded them that once we cover blogs, they’ll begin to see how they can use them in their classes. But then I began to listen–really listen–to what they had to say and think about this from a broader perspective.

I know that what I am trying to do with the technology workshops will help the teachers that I work with. I also know that a good number of people are doing the same thing in their own schools and districts. But deep down, my plans for a dissertation have been bothering me over the last few days. I can’t seem to justify to myself what good it will do to write 200 pages on how effective social medias can be when used in the classroom when at least half of my general audience may not know how to use these mediums when they’re through reading the book. If I really want to make a difference in the way that teachers engage their students, I need to make them tech-literate on their own. I cannot expect them to read my work and say “oh, Diigo. I’ll just go sign up and figure it out.” Not all teachers are prepared to just get an account and figure these things out on their own. This is already a question that I can see having to defend in my prospectus defense. Which brings me to my first “dissertation coffee break” as I shall call it.

I want to use these random thoughts to converse with my readers and get feedback on some ideas I’m having for coming up with the ideas that will drive my thinking to a fuller idea for a dissertation. I want to consider not only the use of Web 2.0 and social media in the classroom, but I want to expand that to look at how teachers can be taught to (a) learn to use 2.0 (specifically social medias) in their personal lives (b) use current 2.0 tools in their classroom (c) assess and learn new tools as they become available.

Now, I have a background in literature which I have realized is not as conducive to working with educators as, say a degree in education or curriculum could be. However, I’m relatively good at learning as I go. But I could use some feedback. Since many of you are teachers or work with teachers on a regular basis, take a minute and comment to this post to let me know what the one thing you think a curriculum for teachers should include to help teachers accomplish these goals. What is the one thing you wish somebody had taught you about using these tools.

The good news is, my prospectus is over a year away (I still have coursework to finish and comps to take). So, you have plenty of time to think this through and let me know of good leads that you have along the way. I’m looking for links to sites that help, stories, ideas–anything you’re willing to provide. Also, I’m starting the technology workshops in mid-April, so you’ll be seeing more in-depth ideas on this same topic as we undertake these.