Social Networking...Friend or Foe?

Social networking..it’s the phrase we’ve all come to know. Had it been mentioned five years ago, no one would have known exactly what was meant. I have managed to make it thus far without joining Facebook® or any variety thereof. The majority of the teachers I am with daily have a Facebook® account. They all talk each day about what they have posted and what other teachers have posted. Honestly, I am not interesting enough to have that sort of page about me; nor I do not want to know that much detail about another’s life . At times the level of impropriety amazes me. When our principal had to tell a teacher to remove a specific posting, I became conscious that my apprehension to join in has been based on that fear. However, I am realizing as I read that a social networking tool could be good for school and for a media center. The realization then sets in that I do not have to have a personal site; I could use one only with educational purposes in mind.

Reading Alex Ragone’s blog on social networking further secures my ideas that educational social networking is a good idea, but that policies covering their use should also be in place. While students do not always intentionally “friend” teachers outside of the work realm, teachers need to be aware of the potential problems this could create and abide by the rules in place.

After considering what is entailed in setting up this sort of network, I see that wikispaces are a social networking site that students can access. This is available at my school! I have talked with several teachers about setting up a book club for our own pleasure reading and they are all for it. Figuring that this would reflect the setting up of a student book club, my plan is to proceed and see what we get. Teachers can be involved in the first round; we can then set it up for students with some ground rules provided at that start.

In the elementary school where I currently work, there is a team for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. While I do think that elementary students should not be on a social networking site, one could be used for middle to high school students to allow for discussion of books outside of the book club meetings. If started and mediated by the media specialist, the control would not be an issue. The issue of bad postings would be gone as the media specialist sees all postings before they appear to the public. Students can read each other’s thoughts and perhaps have a conversation with someone they would not have access to on a daily basis; an older student or student in another school perhaps. The thoughts of this sort of “book club” are exciting to me and to many students with whom I have spoken.

Additionally, I can see a media specialist setting up a networking site to allow for voting for Georgia Book Awards winners, for requesting favorite materials or collaboration with other media specialists. To increase pleasure reading in students is one of my goals. Setting up a place where students and teachers alike can go and discuss books they have read is exciting! In my mind, the ideas for this type of networking are endless.

Having thought about this for the week, I can honestly say that my thoughts on social networking are shifting. I still don’t have much desire(or time!) for Facebook®, but do realize its value and place. Used properly, even the most social of networks can have a place in an educational setting.