Book Reflection: Chapter 9: Social Networks

In chapter 9, Will Richardson dives into the controversial topic of social networks in the classroom and even uses the F-word…yup, you heard me, Facebook. Just like any other web2.0 tool that Richardson has discussed in his book, I can see social networking being integrated into the classroom given the right service, oversight and expectations. And, I know that Facebook is the "in" thing right now for networking online, but I've also seen first-hand the hurt, harm and damage inflicted on students due to Facebook misuse.

Technically, it shouldn't be an issue for us at the middle school level, what with Facebook's 14-years-and-older policy for having an account…but it IS an issue. A week doesn't go by when the assistant principal and I aren't investigating a report of cyberbullying between one or more students via Facebook with one of the laptops from the MLTI 1-to-1 Initiative. We even have a school Facebook account for the sole purpose of investigating these incidents. But I digress…

Richardson rightly advocates that we as educators need to be aware of social networking and Facebook in particular, regardless of whether it is permitted on our schools or not, for the simple reason that our students are using it right now. Because if we know how Facebook works then we can educate our students on how to use it appropriately, ethically and safely. It all comes back to the idea of digital citizenship and the need to integrate this into all corners of education. My colleague Jen has a very well-written blog post that covers this topic in more detail. You can check it out here.

A popular path to social networking integration in the classroom is to create a Ning network. While sometimes also blocked by school filters, most IT departments will be more open to allowing a Ning site through than Facebook. After that, you can create a Ning around any interest-topic of your choosing. Richardson provides some great examples of teachers who have integrated Ning networks into their classrooms that, although prove to be a lot of work to manage at times, have yielded fabulous results with students. Check out my Diigo links at the bottom to see for yourselves.

Richardson sums up the chapter with one word of caution for you Ning users, "whatever you do, don't let anyone click on that 'Add Apps' button." If you've ever seen a students' iGoogle page, then I think you know what he's talking about.


Diigo: Book link list for Social Networking | Facebook | Ning