Social Networks

I did a lot of reading online to enhance my knowledge of social networks and how they can be used in the classroom setting. Along the way I also found articles to dicriminate between web 1.0 and web 2.0 (which in my opionion seems to be a very blurry line). Web 1.0 in my understanding is the internet before 2004 whereas most of the online sites were just places you could go to "get" information or things. The internet of today is considered Web 2.0 because instead of being a "visitor" you have so many opportunities to "participate" and shape the online world. Social networks are a part of Web 2.0 because they are so interactive and there are countless ways for individuals to share information, pictures, videos, lesson plans, and so much more.

I believe schools should use social networks because it opens so many doors and opportunites for us as educators and for our students. As educators we can "beg, borrow, and steal" ideas from other educators to improve our instrustional techniques. I know as a fairly new teacher (6 years) I would love to hear and see the expertise of seasoned educators. Social networks not only would allow me to access the teachers in my county, but also teachers throughout the entire state, country, and essentially even the world. The students could also share information, ideas and work with other students throughout the world. Can you imagine all the life experiences students from Japan or Ireland could share with my students in Mannington, WV and vise versa?? It gives me goosebumps to think of how enriching social networks could be to our childrens' education.

Filters would be essential in a classroom for social networking. It is our job to protect our children and even though the internet is a valuable tool it can also be a dangerous one. 1 in 7 children who use the internet will be a victim of online predators - that is why filters, education about the internet, and guidance are so important. Educators should also have filters to ensure professionalism during the school day.

My survey was at Blackshere Elementary School in Mannington, WV. Blackshere is a Pre-K through 4th grade school. At this point the only social network that is school-wide is the state email system where you can send out vast emails or individual messages. It is used mainly to inform and share information without much interaction. At this point social networks such as Facebook, U-Tube, and MySpace are prohibited. However, I did find teachers at Blackshere that were using social networks to improve their teaching. Several teachers have used Teacher Tube to enhance their knowledge or curriculum and one teacher has a blog that he shares with parents and other educators where they can interact with one another.

My overall opinion based on my research and knowledge is that with filters and education social networks would be a great technological tool to have in our classrooms to enhance our teaching skills and to enrich our students' academic experiences.

Bibliography:

Willard, N (2006,4,12). Schools and Online Social Networking. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from Education World Web site: http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues/issues423.shtml

Hargadon, S (2008,11,01). Thoughts on Social Networking in Education. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from Steve Hargadon Web site: http://www.stevehargadon.com/2008/11/thoughts-on-social-networking-in.html

Andrews, R (2007,04,19). Don't Tell Your Parents: Schools Embrace MySpace. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from WIRED Web site: http://www.wired.com/culture/education/news/2007/04/myspaceforschool

Krishnan, G (2007,08,27). Social Networking in Education. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from Simply Speaking Web site: http://simply-speaking.blogspot.com/2007/08/social-networking-in-education.html

Nightingale, J (2008,05,06). Alternative social networking: Overprotection or necessary control. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from guardian.co.uk Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/may/06/link.link18