Chapter 9: Social Networks-Facebook, Ning, Connections, and Communities

Finally, something I'm quite comfortable with. I've been using Facebook since it opened up to college students in its early stages. I was also a member of MySpace for a few years in college as well. I definitely understand the "friendship-based" ways to use social networking. I check Facebook several times a day, and use it as a way too keep in touch with my many acquaintances around the country and the globe.
I'm a bit old-school in that it took me a while to see why my students need Facebook. Almost everyone they're friends with goes to their school. Over the past few years, however, I've begun to realize that it is a way for them to express thoughts and opinions that they might not share aloud. They want to be able to connect with friends when they're not together, to share photos, jokes, and memories. I get that. This is also why I'm recently on board with the people of my parents' generation who now have Facebook, although it took me a very long time to accept their friend requests.
The part I was unfamiliar with was the "interest-based" ways that social networking can be used. I'm sure my students are quite unfamiliar with this concept as well. As Richardson is well aware, it would be a nightmare trying to use Facebook for educational purposes at this point. I think Ning would provide a good alternative that parents and administrators might be more open to. Ning would make it easier to limit the topic of discussion and who can access the content. Through using a social networking site, we could tap into students' interests and abilities. I could have a place for them to discuss material, and post links and photos in a way that's meaningful to them. I do think that many of the quieter students in class would be able to express their ideas more freely in a digital space. I really value the potential for creating a stronger classroom community through the site.