Is it possible to join social networking with
education? It is completely possible. In my classes, I have used blogs and Skype
effectively for my personal learning. There are other possibilities such as
twitter and Facebook as well. While social networking can have limitations and glitches
that go along with the software involved, when well-planned there can be
benefits involved. I have most appreciated Skype. I have found Skype to be limited
with groups larger than two, but I have attended Skype lectures and had face to
face time with professors. Both of these occurrences have proved extremely
helpful.
On a college level, social networking for educational purposes would be much easier than using it for middle and high school. I do think it could work, but my school district would not allow that to happen. Our school does not have access to You Tube because of things that can be found there. Social networking for education would not be allowed because of potential problems that could be associated because of inappropriate use. We have Blackboard blogging and discussion that we can use so the other would not be allowed. At another school district where I taught, they allowed Facebook interaction. There were teachers who set up class pages and communicated through that page. They would post pictures of various class activities and posted assignments also. It worked well for them and there were no problems with inappropriate use. After putting firm ground rules in place, the teachers there found social networking a great support of education.
Cecilia, I have also had great experience with Skype for educational purposes. I enjoy the synchronous capability of Skype – very useful when you have group project. The only negative I have experienced with Skype is when you try to network 3 or more people at the same time. The connectivity is really slow and it is difficult to really “synch” during the session. I read Tiffany’s Blog earlier and she wrote about the privacy issues with social networking sites such as Facebook. It was interesting to read how your school district allowed Facebook interaction. I can definitely see the positives and negatives with promoting or allowing students to use social networking sites as an educational tool in the classroom. I did like the idea of posting pictures/assignments on the Facebook page. Most students use Facebook for social use and are always using the site – using the site as a platform for knowledge can be a great thing as long as it is monitored. Great post!
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