Social networking in schools....that is a huge discussion and debate in many schools. We just had a discussion as a staff about this topic when school started. There is a feature on the new Destiny Quest that allows students to have "friends" and suggest books to each other. The problem with the idea is the "cyberbullying" and inapproprate use of words that has started because of it. Schools were then given the option to get rid of the option on Destiny and not allow "friends". In our school, we chose to keep the option for the moment and do more teaching of what is right and wrong when using a feature like this in the school setting. We figure if we monitor it and deny use to students who are misusing it, we can really get students interested in books. Right now, I am "friends" with all the students in my third grade class. They suggest books to me and I suggest books to them. We read books together and rate them. They write me reviews and post them to Destiny. It has opened the door for learning about books in my classroom. It has also has gotten them interested in the use of the library again.
I do believe that students need to be taught how to use social networking sites appropriately. There can be a role for them in the classroom if they are being used for educational purposes. Our district does not allow social networking sites other than Destiny Quest. The students are unable to "chat" using this site. The district does have a firewall or filter that does not allow social networking sites to even open up on a school computer. The thing I see is that students now a days have it all loaded on their cell phones anyway and some would say it would be better to teach them how to use is appropriately. Then you have others that say we are already "parenting" these children, why do we have to teach them how to use a cell phone or internet. I can see both sides of the arguement. I can see it being used well and I can see it being used poorly. It all depends on the plan and the ground rules that are laid down.
As a media specialist, I can see social networking being used to promote the media center. It could be used to promote a workshop for teachers or a study group for students. It could also be used to promote new materials that are in circulation. It is a different way to get stakeholders involved in the media center. It makes the students feel like they are a part of the media center and they want to take part in more events in the media center. It can also be used to relay information to students, teachers, and administrators. The only problem I see with it is making sure it is updated regularly. I have seen many blogs that get a great start and then fizzle down to nothing because the teacher or media specialist jumps on some other bandwagon. It would be interesting to see which of these "fads" or ideas will sustain and still be around when I retire. :)
I did not know that Destiny has such a tool! What a great way to get students involved in reading! And a media specialist could use this in her library for "book talks" or a book club. Being able to discuss books like a blog and suggest books to each other encourages students to read and take in interest in reading. This is a great way to motivate those students who normally do not like to read or students who are struggling to read and may have low self-esteem. I think it is very important these days to reach our students through technology since it is so dominant and relied upon in our society. If students are going to use the internet to chat and have social outlets, why not create academic outlets too? I teach Kindergarten, so this tool might not be as user friendly to my five and six year olds, but it can definitely be adapted or used between teachers to share curriculum ideas and book titles for lesson planning or projects. If we find ways to connect to our students, we have a better chance as educators to reach them and continue to make students life long learners.
ReplyDeleteSocial Networking is growing by leaps and bounds, to the point that there may now be room to have it both ways. We can block out the social networking sites primarily used by students to gossip with one another, which is something we do not want to encourage at school (it is really difficult enough to get and keep their attention, as it is), while finding a wider variety of more educationally appropriate networking sites to use for educational purposes.
ReplyDeleteI think the students find enough ways to "chat" with one another through cell phones, without needing access to Facebook and MySpace during school hours.
Having more educationally focused social networking sites, such as Delicious, LibraryThing, and various blogs (teacher and media specialist created and monitored) gives students and educators increasing opportunities to take advantage of the digital age and its social networking tools, for educational use. Facilitating conversations about various educational topics (literature reviews, science concepts, reading interests, personally relevant research topics, study groups etc.) that extend outside the classroom does give the students opportunities to chat, using tools they are comfortable with, about educational topics.
The trick could be - is there a way to tap into the MySpaces and Facebooks to draw students in to educational conversation? Personally, I think that is pie in the sky thinking. I believe students will continue to use these tools primarily to socialize with friends, but will not turn from them, directly toward educationally relevant alternatives.
Keeping these two distinctly different types of social networking tools separate is also important when considering appropriate boundaries between students and teachers. I know I don't want to be "friends" with my students on Facebook and see so much of their personal "stuff," and I know they have no hesitation about putting the most personal information out there for the world to see. Let me be "friends"...or hopefully just "acquaintances" on an educationally oriented site, and I'll bet I will get more appropriate information from them, more targeted towards educationally relevant material.
I believe our opportunity exists at the point we can hook them by using these tools to which they respond so well, providing similar products that are academically oriented. If we can effectively do this, we will have harnessed significant educational potential in social networking.
I agree that social networking sites seem like a great way to promote the media center to stakeholders. You mentioned that, "It can also be used to relay information to students, teachers, and administrators." As an elementary school teacher, I also thought about parents as another stakeholder group that could benefit from media center use of social networking sites.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that students in your district were not allowed to use social networking sites other than Destiny's. I wonder how school districts such as yours would feel about media specialists using Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter to reach parents instead of students? I know many parents also belong to these social networking sites. Our school PTO recently created a Facebook page for their organization and has seen a great increase in parent participation.
I believe your example about your 3rd grade class getting excited about writing book reviews and visiting the media center is a great reason to introduce social networking in the classroom. I believe your example is probably not an isolated case, and many students of all ages would be excited to use tools like this to communicate with their teacher and with each other about what they're learning. I agree with you that if you are going to use this in the classroom, students need to learn proper etiquette and manners about how to use it. Maybe this is something the school counselor could jump on board with along with the media specialist (since they both have access to all the school's students). This would ensure that all students are taught similar "rules of engagement" while using these for the school. Who knows...this could possibly lead to students using better manners when they are using their own personal social networking sites from home!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you (Patti) mentioned Destiny Quest's "social" features. I heard about this a while back, but I have never implemented it. I want to--I think I've just been afraid it would take a long time to assign usernames and passwords, etc. But now that I survived Book Fair, I want to try to get this going. I think it would be a great way to keep kids interested in books. Also, it would be a safe, "controlled" way to teach them some "netiquette." We can't and probably shouldn't be the ones to teach them proper social networking skills for things like Facebook or MySpace, but for something like Destiny Quest, we definitely can give them some guidance. Some of the teachers at my school offer such guidance in blogs and wikis. It is helpful that that the posts are not anonymous. However, some of sites use a "codename" so that potential predators can't identify students. But the teachers know who the post writers are. They can refuse to post offensive or inappropriate comments and can recommend revision for spelling and grammar errors.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that I was glad to read the ALA/AASL article (http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/june2008/AASLsurvey.cfm) and be reminded that many tools and sites can be considered "social networking" sites--not just MySpace and Facebook.
Stitch, your points about keeping your professional life and your personal life separate are important. I think I have blurred this line some. It all runs together for me sometimes... I am friends with some students on Facebook, but none at my school. Mostly friends of my kids, etc. I have occasionally had to remind kids that I see what they post, and they should keep that in mind! Incidentally, I never "add" students; I only confirm them if they add me, and even then it's selective. Preferably, it's students whose parents I also know.
I also did not know that Destiny had the ability to have "friends" and to be able to suggest books to read. I love this idea. I like that students will be able to easily access books that teachers or other students have requested. This could be a boost in circulation in itself; a student may not check out a book because they "can't find anything good", but if they have a network of friends and someone suggested a book, they may be more apt to check something out. Hopefully integrating this new technology that so many youth are active in will bring a "cool" factor to the library and to classes. I think that social networking definitely has a place in the school system, but because it is a new idea it has to be handled carefully. Often times, we learn in school qualities and information that is needed beyond the classroom, which is what I believe should be an ultimate goal. With the knowledge that so many students do use these tools and sites, educators should take on the role of teaching the rights and wrongs of their use; this should include things such as communicating safely and cyberbullying.
ReplyDeleteI am in the same boat that you are in as far as filters blocking all social networking sites in our school district. As much as I hate to have to point it out, I think it is also to keep teachers from utilizing the sites. Even though we are suppose to be professionals, I guess it is just easier to block them than constantly monitor the misuse from both students and staff.
ReplyDeleteI think your district has started out with a great plan. Open it up on a small level and teach students how to use it for educational purposes. I see teaching of social networking in this context less about parenting and more about the use of another technical tool used for teaching and learning.