Honestly I have not yet read any of the articles or research nor, have I yet to experiment with the new tools suggested in this lesson. This is my gut reaction or opinion to social networking. I am doing an experiment to see if the articles will sway my opinion. Here it goes, I am not a huge fan of social networking. There I said it, it may be the taboo thing to say but it is how I feel at this moment. Now I am not an idiot I do get that there are alot of pros to social networking, I am just not convinced that this tool should be an integral part of school curriculum. Therefore, perhaps I should clarify, I am not a fan of social networking being used in schools. I think that there needs to be alot more in place before we can incorporate such a loose tool in classes. I don't even think that the majority of school districts have any kind of protocol for its' use. So how are we supposed to stand alone and lobby for it to be used. I for one am not ready to be the fall guy if something goes wrong.
Now socially, out of school I think that facebook, etc. are entertaining and perform certain tasks that save time and facilitate communication. I continue to think however, that it is somewhat overused and tedious. Who really wants to know when I am having coffee or that I have gone to the beach. I also think that some people lose a little perspective when using this and sometimes they make some poor judgement calls. Teachers facebooking parents on a social level, in my opinion, is not a great idea. It could lead to gossip and possible negative ramifications for all those involved, especially the student. I think it is fantastic to use when communicating with close family and friends, but really do we need to keep everyone updated on our daily lives? There is such a thing as too much information. I recently received a friend request which I accepted and they got a whole page of very inappropriate clubs that they were a "fan" of.
So in the end does it fulfill a need or serve a purpose? Yes I think that it does. But we need to remember to use things in moderation and perhaps not jump on the bandwagon. But then again perhaps I am a Nervous Nilly, and play things too cautiously, but once something is out there, you can not get it back.
Now, I will set about doing the readings and see if I gain a new enlightened perspective. I'll keep you posted.
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Thanks, Anita. I agree that there may be limited uses for these tools in schools (Facebook, in particular), although I do know there are teachers out there who are trying out ways to incorporate facebook into their classes. That said, I think (as you point out) facebook is important for teachers to be aware of and to play with so that they are at least familiar with how it works and so they can talk to students about it and how to make good choices about its use on a personal level.
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