Thing 18: Social Networking

Of all the topics that we have covered so far, this is the only one that I really had any knowledge about before we started.  Social networking has become such an important part of life that even I have jumped on the bandwagon (even though I really only have a tentative grip on the edge). 

There are a lot of different social networking sites, but the only one I use regularly (if you can call it that) is Facebook.  I mostly use Facebook to keep track of what other people are doing, look at pictures of my family and friends, and send messages.  I am still a little leery about putting information on the Internet, so I don't actually put a lot on my own account.  Private seems to mean something new everyday, and that makes me uncomfortable.

Social networking seems to be one of those hot topics in education.  Before every field observation, the class I am in gets a visitor that talks to us about the do's and don'ts of social networking.  In addition, more teachers than ever are using social networking as an idea generator for lesson plans. 

I am much more interested in using social networking sites professionally rather than personally.  I can definitely see how both Facebook or Twitter could be used in the classroom.  Teachers should try to meet students where they are, and most students are glued to a computer monitor.  Whether you think that is a good thing or not, teachers might as well take advantage of that knowledge and use it to turn everyday computer use into learning time.  Social networking websites are a great way to keep up with people, its what they were designed for.  As a student, the only time I ever really got into trouble was when I forgot to do an assignment.  Using social networking would be a great way to help students keep up with assignments, and think about how much time teachers could spend teaching if they did not have to repeat the assignment ten times in a class period to make sure every student heard.  And I'm sure there are millions of other practical ways to use social networking in the classroom.

Since I actually use my Facebook account, I decided to provide a link to my twitter.  I haven't tweeted anything, but you can find links to other accounts that I find informative and/ or entertaining.