With the soon to be released movie “Social Network” about the founders of facebook and the exploration of the social network topic on the Today Show’s education series – currently the notion of social networking in schools is definitely a hot topic!
I feel compelled to write about this topic from both the perspective of a parent and a teacher. As a teacher, the opportunity to get kids thinking and connecting authentically through social networking is very exciting. As a parent, I approach this subject with caution and anxiousness.
I appreciate the author’s attempt to use data as a way to dispel some of the fear around facebook and other social network systems (Brooks-Young, 2010) . However, Brooks-Young’s explanation of facts and statistics does not make the threat of online predators or cyber bullying, from a parent’s perspective, any less real or frightening. We will need to consider parental concerns if we approach social networking in the classroom.
The reflective question has been asked, "Can the benefits of social networks, such as facebook, outweigh the risks...?” I believe a good starting point to this topic would be to ask ourselves “Are their safer alternatives to use in the classroom that allow our students to hone their networking and collaboration skills?” How many faculty do we know who already incorporate online discussion and networking into their lessons? Is there a simpler way to begin? We need to remember that this type of instruction will take time, careful planning and extra monitoring. There is quite a bit of potential for positive outcomes for student learning, but some teachers may wish to wade in the water before fully plunging in.
We know that digital skills, collaboration/ teamwork, critical thinking/ problem solving, and work ethic skills are all desirable traits of today’s workforce (Brooks-Young, 2010) . Art teachers already inherently incorporate many of these skills in the project-based art room. Utilizing the social networking interests of our students could be one more way to help our kids be successful students, workers, and global citizens.
So how do we begin? A good place to begin might be to create a network system specifically for the school. Many suggestions were given in the reading, such as Ning and Elgg. Some of these networks may cost money for subscriptions or third party implementation but the cost may be worth it to ensure the safety of students and to ease district administrator/parental concerns. As an art teacher with great ambitions, but limited time, using a network that has already been designed for use by students and teachers could be an option. Some networks to explore are ePALS, iEARN, and GLOBALORIA (Duebel) . Finally, an art teacher could simply begin with a class blog or website that allows students to comment and collaborate. It is also important to remember that kids will need guidance. If we are to expect students to successfully participate and learn through online collaboration/networking, teachers will need to give clear expectations and demonstrate what is expected.
Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Duebel, P. (n.d.). Social Networking in Schools: Incentives for Participation. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from The Journal: www.thejournal.com
Good points here - thank you for sharing the links as well. I agree with you (and the authors of our texts) that the key to making effective use of social networking (and any other technology for that matter) is clear expectations.
ReplyDeleteSidenote - I just saw "The Social Network" tuesday night, and I actually really enjoyed it. I was thinking of all of you guys during the whole thing - it would have been a great field trip!