Social Networks

Social networks fit into my workflow both professionally and personally. Facebook is the social network that I am very experience with and is really the only one I use on a daily basis. Not only can I connect with my friends socially, but my social encounters have also helped my work professionally. For example, I am connected to my collaborating teacher during my intern year so not only do we keep in touch on a friendship level but she is still today giving me ideas for my classroom through Facebook. I also belong to some teacher groups on Facebook that give me ideas on things that I can implement in my classrooms. Also, when looking for jobs a couple years ago, I found was able to network through Facebook when finding out information on the school districts I was applying for. I even collaborate with my coworkers on Facebook when we are lesson planning to give each other ideas of what we are teaching in our classrooms. We sometimes find this easier then emailing each other.

Not only does Facebook fit into my life but my middle students use Facebook on a daily basis (even though they are too young for it). The biggest problem I see with it, which it even talks about in the social networking article I read, is cyber bullying. My students use it as a social medium to gossip and socialize with their friends. I would love to create a Facebook page for my classroom but it is not allowed. I think if teachers were to use it more as a professional social classroom network that allows students to chat about learning and assignments in school, students might start to use social networks more professionally. I also think that if students are more educated on how to use Facebook more appropriately then I feel social networks could be more useful in the classroom. I would love to find a different social network other then Facebook to start in my classroom where student can have discussion over assignments on. This would really help in group projects. Additionally, students need to learn how to social network more professionally when they enter the workforce, Therefore as teachers, I think it is our job to try to include these networks into our teaching.