Thing #22

Finally, something I know about. I have been using Facebook for about a year.

It is important for educators to know about social networking sites because the students use them so much. So much of student communication goes on through social networking sites. I am not a fan of teachers friending students on these sites. I think that teachers personnel lives should be kept separate from students. But I know many teachers that do friend their students. It does allow for communication with the students.

Social networking sites give teachers an insight into trends, fashion and cultural, that students are participating in. It allows the teacher to be aware of what students are doing outside the classroom.

I like Facebook better than MySpace. I felt that MySpace was geared for younger people. I have even heard students say that Facebook is MySpace for old people! I like to be able to easily share pictures with family and friends as well as share what is going on in my life. Facebook has reconnected me with many of my old high school friends. It has been fun to catch up with them.

I am not sure that there is an educational use for social networking. This is primarily because I do not feel that teachers and students should be friends on them. I think this blurs the line between the teacher and student professional relationship. There are other ways to communicate with students outside the classroom.