Thing 18: Hello Social Networking

     Hi guys! Wow, it has definitely been awhile since I've last written. But now that I'm back, I hope you're excited! Today I'm talking about Facebook. I'm sure you know what that is, but let me go ahead and tell you a little bit about it. Social networking on the Internet has been around a little more than a decade, with sites such as MySpace (established in 2003) growing popular by the minute. It started out requiring people to be 18 years of age in order for eligible membership. Yet, as years grew on, more and more people joined and the age requirement gradually decreased to what it is now, 13 years. Amazing, isn't it? Legally underage girls and boys can log on to a social networking site and talk to anyone at any age. That doesn't sound very safe, does it? My thoughts exactly.
     With Facebook, it is following very much the same pattern. Gradually, the age has been decreasing. However, despite Myspace, Facebook has added security features that allow underage children to protect themselves from predators. Whether they actually take advantage of it, probably not; but let's hope for the best ;)
    On a lighter note, this leads to our discussion about why it's important for educators to stay updated about social networking sites like, Twitter and Facebook. For one thing, it's definitely an easy way for teachers to know what's going on in their students' lives. However, that doesn't leave me suggesting that teachers add their students as friends. In fact, I am completely recommending the opposite. Do not add your students as friends. Ever. Seriously. That is a very bad idea. There is always a little grey area between student teacher relationships and there is one thing I can tell you: there is a fine line with Facebook. Do not cross it.
     Now, if you're doing a class assignment that requires students to interact with each other, then Facebook can be an essential tool. The way to avoid conflict is by simply creating a Group. Within this group, you can search for your students and add them to the group. There, they can discuss different ideas, etc. This does not mean you added them as friends. This is acceptable.
     I like the fact that you can create groups, etc. without adding them as official friends. This makes classroom discussions possible and easy. And we all love easy. What I don't like, however, is that there are so many options to choose from. It can end up being a little bit confusing. But overall, it's definitely a positive asset to education.
     I hate Twitter. I think it's pointless so obviously I'm slightly biased on my discussion of it. Buttt- I guess it could be positively used (as discussed in one of my previous posts). You can read about it there, unless you already have, which I'm sure you have ;)

Yours,
TPlummer