Utilizing social networking in education

I sat with my mom the other night trying to show her how to use Facebook. I have the patience of a saint, but in this case I do believe my sainthood expired. My mom asked me why she was doing this in the first place, and I told her “because social networking is the future and it’s time for you to step into it.”

When you hear the term “social networking,” you may think of My Space, Facebook, blogging, chatting, and a variety of other simple online activities, and you would be absolutely correct. The question I am often asked is whether there is a place in education for social networking. My answer? Yes. Absolutely!

In the educational arena, we prefer the term “educational networking” over social networking since there is a negative stigma attached to the latter. Educational networking is the use of social networking methods in education. Now, before you start to think that I advocate the use of Facebook in the classroom, let me tell you that I do not. It is important to separate a student’s private life from his or her academic life, but there is nothing wrong with socializing within their academic life. It is the job of a teacher to educate, and, in this digital age, part of that education includes teaching appropriate online social behavior and proper netiquette. With that said, what better way to incorporate the new digital tools that are available?

The use of social networking allows our children to develop necessary 21st century skills that are essential for a successful future in the digital world. These necessary skills are to create, communicate and collaborate. The use of any type of networking with their peers, both locally and around the world, allows our students to share original work with an authentic audience. Some other benefits of social networking include (but are not limited to):

· Providing students with excellent, motivating opportunities to read and write.
· Creating opportunities for communication and collaboration.
· Developing critical thinking skills that are necessary for success in their future.
· Creating opportunities for peer mentoring in all areas.
· Creating the opportunity to meet new people around the world and learn how to interact with them appropriately.
· Allowing for the development of appropriate discussion and feedback, as well as how to both give and receive constructive criticism.
· Creating opportunities for creative thinking and problem solving while teaching them to navigate a fully connected world.
· Allowing students to form networks based on common interest.

There are several ways to incorporate social networking into education. Teachers in Maricopa, as well as in other school districts, are learning how to use and incorporate these tools into their classrooms. Slowly, but surely, you will start to see a change in the way your child is educated. Technology should not dictate content, but it can provide a method of presentation that makes connections to the world our students live in, and it motivates students to learn and succeed in an ever-changing society.

To the students of today, technology is invisible. They expect it to be readily available for their use without a second thought. They do, however, notice when it is not available. It is time for us to step out of our comfort zone and step into the world of our students and to find methods to teach them in ways they learn best.

Technology is not going away; it is only growing and expanding with every passing moment. The challenge is to learn it, embrace it and become comfortable with it.

Are you up for the challenge?

Shannan White is the Technology Integration Specialist for the Maricopa Unified School District.

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