Social Networking - Join in on the good times!

Congratulations! Friends couldn’t make me do it. Family couldn’t make me do it. Co-workers?..nope. Classmates?…noper. Students? Definitely not. But, this class did it! After years of hearing about how great it is and being harassed to join, I have finally joined Facebook! (and Ning.com!)

Reflections on the process of learning about Social Networking

I’ll admit, that I like to be first, especially when it comes to media and pop culture. The first to discover the latest ‘hot’ musician… However when Facebook popped up, I resisted, and one by one basically every friend took the plunge. Why did I not hop on the train you may ask? Well, I think part of it was that I was afraid that I would become addicted. Friends told me of countless hours spent ‘facebooking.’ This prospect frightened me. Another reason I resisted was that I wanted to keep my private life private and I didn't want to 'mix' friends.  Lastly, I didn't want to join because I was afraid of those awkward offline conversations (i.e. "Hey Tyson!  Why didn't you accept my friend request?")  Now that I am a member, those worries have subsided, although I do get the occasional email 'begging' to be added.

I resisted for the first couple weeks of September and then went for it… joined Facebook, along with Ning. For Facebook though, I decided that I was only going to add people that I saw/talked to on a regular basis. My goal was not going to be to ‘get as many friends as I could.’ I had to become okay with the theory that less is more. 
 

Going through this week’s Trailfire also helped expand my view of what social networking sites are. It’s funny.. until I read Stephen Abram’s article, entitled, “Scaffolding the New Social Literacies” I had never thought of Club Penguin as a social networking site.  But, I guess it is.. just a different form: a game.  
 

Discussion of Social Networking in terms of my own personal learning
 

Learning about social networking made me really think about my digital footprint (AKA: the track I leave that can be searched on Google). Joining a “Britney Spears Fan” social network on Ning will help me talk with other fans, but it will also reveal to the world that I’m a huge fan just by doing a quick search on the internet. This is just a hypothetical situation of course, but it illustrates that we really need to think about what we want ‘out there’ about ourselves.  Now, we can adjust privacy settings, which I think Facebook excels at, but I found with Ning that this was very difficult.   
 

Stephen Abram reveals that “both Facebook and MySpace restrict their social networking sites to people over the age of 14.” This is hard for me to believe as about a handful of former students who range in age from 10 to 12 have sent me friend invitations on Facebook. Did they lie about their age? Probably. Did I accept? Nope. Do I know other teachers that have added students and communicate with them regularly? Yes.

I have to admit that being a part of Facebook has brought me closer to some friends (the ones on my friends list) and has driven me further away from others (the ones that I rejected or who lay in limbo). Participating in Facebook has allowed me to learn of events that I may not have heard of and that I’m now able to participate in; and I know who else will be there! I like how it allows me to express my wity and fun side.  

I feel though, that Facebook has replaced e-mail in some ways. I noticed this phenomenon when most of my friends initially signed up for Facebook. Much to my relief, there were less "forwards" because people were sharing with one another on Facebook. 
 

Baloun (2007) reveals that “the real question for a social networking site is how many active users the site has, and how much the site has become an integral part of those users’ lives.” He then reveals that two-thirds of Facebook users visit the site at least once a day. This shows how powerful the site is. For me, I now visit this site more than once per day, but I can happily report, that I'm not endlessly 'facebooking.'  I think this could be possibly because the 'hype' about it has calmed down a bit, and now people are using it more as a tool and have realized that spending hours on it is not productive. 
 

Discussion of Social Networking in terms of teaching & learning

Over the last few years, social networking sites such as 'MySpace' have received a lot of 'bad press.'  There were stories of abductions and abuse, which caused many parents and schools to ban these sites.  Davies & Merchant (2007) reveals that most school boards from around the world have banned social networking sites in their districts due to safety concerns. I think this could be partly due to ignorance. I’m sure not many superintendents and people in ‘authority’ know the true power of social networking sites and how they can be private, and in turn safe. 
 

Being a member of the social network called, “Ning in Education” has allowed me to learn from educators from around the world. I could see into their schools and school districts and how they’re using social networking tools. For example, reading Scott Habeeb’s blog I learned about how his school district in Virginia is incorporating and ‘handling’ social networking. They decided that they would not block any social networking sites for teachers and they would trust them as professionals to use them appropriately. For students, they decided that they best social networking site to use with students would be Ning. 
 

For students, social networking sites can be powerful tools. It can be away for them to meet and discuss with other students who may have similar interests, challenges and goals. Del Conte (2007) reveals that Social Networking can be used by students “to find mentors or perform research.” I would see this more for students in junior high, high school, and in college and university. 
 

For teachers, social networking sites can be extremely helpful. It can take a job that is somewhat isolating, and turn it into a social experience by being members of networks. We can share ideas, challenges, and questions. We can discuss, and commiserate with other teachers from around the world, but also inspire one another.

One big pro of social networking sites is that key information is backed up for you: your friends’ contact info and your pictures. The big con here though is that sometimes relationships, both plutonic and romantic, end and do you really want this person to still be on your list, to still see what you’re up to. Personally speaking I would say no. I haven’t been put into this situation just yet, but I could see it happening. I think I haven’t had to deal with it yet, partially because I was very selective when choosing who I would be ‘Facebook friends’ with. 
 

One big pro for students using a class Ning set up by their teacher is the collaborative aspect that is possible. Students can post links, pictures, blogs, etc. to show their learning and help with others’ learning. Abrams (2007) also suggests that setting up a specific chat time (i.e. 6-7PM) will make the teacher available to students beyond the classroom. Now initially, my thoughts lead me to think ‘more time’ and ‘more commitment.’ However, it is a short amount of time set up, and it could be incredibly powerful. Students can ask questions about upcoming tests, for example. 
 

This would also allow students to be available to one another throughout the evening and weekend. Students could post and or discuss a difficulty they are having with the content of a course they’re taking. 
 

Another con of social networking would be ‘the business’ aspect of it. “It is important to remember that many providers have commercial interests at heart,” warns Davies and Merchant (2007). Students can be exposed to advertising, or market researchers could be recording their preferences (Davies & Merchant, 2007).
 

After learning about a class Ning, it has me thinking that it sounds very similar to a class wiki: the collaborative aspect, the private classroom space online, and the powerfulness of it to engage students of today and tomorrow. 
 

References:

Abram, Stephen. (2007). Scaffolding the New Social Literacies.

Baloun, Karel M. (2007). Inside Facebook: Life Work and Visions of Greatness.

Victoria: Trafford Publishing.

Davies, M., & Merchant, G. (2009). Web 2.0 for schools. New York: Peter Lang.

Del Conte, Natali. The Best Social Network Sites for Students

http://www.wired.com/software/webservices/news/2007/08/student_networks

Habeeb, Scottt. (2009). Guidelines for using Ning in a school setting

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. 2nd Ed. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.