Social Networking

What a brave new world it will be? A world nurtured by the free exchange of ideas. Elevated discourse on important topics. The world of the Internet!

Well, not so much. Jeff Jarvis on the podcast, “This Week in Google,” had this to say about comments on blogs and web sites, “Whenever the recipient loses control, it becomes noise.”Read more...

This summer, as most summers, was over in a flash. I was reflecting today on how technology—social networking in particular—has changed how "I spent my summer vacation.” Read more...

Last week I attended a webinar - Getting Social with Students: Using Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, and other social tools with kids presented by Jeff Utecht. I walked away from that webinar rethinking social networking and students. One of my biggest takeaways was a suggestion for teachers on how to use facebook. Create a Fan Page. When friend requests come in from students – direct them to the fan page- there they can still engage with you – say hello, see the latest classroom news, resources or what you choose to share. This allows students to engage with you, while still maintaining your privacy on your facebook account that you share and engage with friends and family. I love this idea –this simple suggestion allowed me to see facebook and the classroom in a new light.Read more...

In the past I have posted Communication from the Classroom where I discussed the importance of communication from the perspectives of a parent and an educator. I focused on using e-mail, websites and Learning Management tools to keep open the lines of communication. I didn’t touch on social networking sites. I was inspired after reading The Big Trend in Small Social Sites in this week’s Bloomsberg Businessweek, to look at the role of social networking sites to keep connected to relevant topics and resources. The article discusses several smaller social networking sites which lead me to examine some of the sites that I participate in.Read more...