If social networking is to be successfully used in the classroom it must first be seen as the logical extension to student-teacher interaction. By this, I mean that we must overcome the fear of having teachers and students interact outside of the classroom.
The benefits of social networking and sites that allow interaction are bountiful. In many instances they are already being seen. School district and class websites allow parents and students to get immediate answers about students progress. Absent students can keep up with course work and not fall behind.
In addition, social networking can allow or collaboration between students from schools around the globe to get amazing perspectives on problem solving as well as see language usage and other perspectives. Indeed, as collaboration efforts go, there can be no better tool.
As the economy and companies go more and more global, it behooves schools to use social networking sites as tools to prepare students for this new world and the work environment they will find themselves in the future
Wow. You sound sold on the idea. Would you personally start a class social site, with your students this year? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would do it this year just because I have taken on so many new changes to my classroom already and am trying to make adjustments where I can as well as makes notes of things to change for next year. I do have a wall on wallwisher.com for students to post constructive commentary but, alas, no one has posted yet. I could easily seeme using edmodo next year in additon to my class website as a starter into social networking for class...
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