Week 9: Kids and Social Networking

I think we can all agree that there are risks and benefits with children using social networking sites. The thing we may not agree on is whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks. I believe that there is a place for social networking in the educational setting and, if used properly, can greatly benefit a child's education experience and better prepare them for the future.

After reviewing the materials several points stuck out other than the obvious concerns about privacy and safety. First, the fear of change is the biggest obstacle we face with the inclusion of social media in our education system. If we can overcome our fears and adapt to an ever changing society we can better prepare our students for the future. Another point that I found interesting was the statement about negative blog comments, and how they should be viewed and a chance to "listen and engage".

Currently, the school district that I work for has completely banned most common social networking and media sites, including but not limited to Myspace, Facebook, and YouTube. However, they have recently adopted a new web authoring system that enables teachers to create blogs (at this time I am currently exploring the new system to see what can be done), and Gaggle is also allowed by the school district. Other than the new website and Gaggle, the district has taken an extremely firm stance on social media.

It is my belief that schools need to consider the benefits of social media as part of the educational experience. In the world today, much of our communication is done digitally, and therefore students should be taught how to use these newer forms of communication effectively and appropriately. Some options that schools could adopt are intranet based social media, that is only accessible inside the schools. Another way would be to use monitored and password protected social media sites that would not allow outsiders to access.