What is a Social Networking site?

Social networking sites are set up to allow users to communicate, collaborate and share information about themselves in an online environment. Watch this video, Social Networking in Plain English by Commoncraft.com to find out more. Popular sites include MySpace and Facebook where users create a profile/space about themselves, upload photos, videos, music and invite friends to be a part of their ‘network’. New functions are regularly added.

Educational versions are also available such as me.edu.au (http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/go/me) which has been established for Australian educators to:

• ‘create an online professional profile
• connect with educators who have similar interests
• share links, news, photos, ideas, opinions’

‘Wikis’, ‘Page flakes’ and ‘nings’ are also social networks, which can be used for educational purposes. These sites are free to use. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace tend not be used in schools although trials have occurred to assess how such sites may feasibly be incorporated for educational purposes.

How are social networks used?

Social networking sites can be utilised in a wide variety of ways depending on the interest and involvement of the user.

One user may choose to have a small, private network consisting only of friends created ‘off line’ and post little personal information.

Another user may instead choose to have an open network where anyone can view their information, personal information is openly shared and have a large network with many friends formed ‘online’ whom they’ve never met in person. It is of course entirely down to personal taste.

As an educator, there exists a level of social and moral responsibility, however, and teachers should only post information to online spaces they would be happy for students and the school/department to view. Once online, information and images are seldom truly ‘private’.

How can social networks be used in the classroom?

Elements of social networking sites can be used for projects within and between classrooms. As well as allowing communication and collaboration, such sites may also be used to enhance personal and interpersonal learning, thinking and creativity.

Students are often familiar with using such online spaces and when accessed with confidence the focus can be on the learning rather than the technology.

Examples of social networking sites used in education

Is it possible to create a completely sustainable planet?
Pageflakes and a wetpaint wiki have been used to allow students to communicate and collaborate to work towards creating ‘earth 2’ – a sustainable planet.
Julie Squires, Mark Phillips, Casey Grammar School
http://www.pageflakes.com/j.squires/
http://sustainearth2.wetpaint.com/

Flat classroom project
Four year nine and one year ten student from Hawkesdale P-12 worked collaboratively with students from USA, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Spain and Australia to develop a digital movie judged by global judges.
http://flatclassroomproject.ning.com
They then travelled with their teacher Anne Mirtschin to a conference in Qatar:
http://flatclassroomconference.wikispaces.com/

Schoolyard blitz
Students design an outdoor space for their school using google sketchup.
Jodie Tilley and Pennie White
http://schoolyardblitz.wikispaces.com/

What are the benefits?

Ideally, social networking sites can allow individuals to communicate and collaborate with others in more diverse and efficient ways than possible with more ‘traditional’ forms of communication. In particular, communication with others both interstate and overseas may be more easily achieved. Here Anne Mirtschin writes about how she finds global educational connections: http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/where-to-find-schools-to-connect-with/ 

Global issues can be highly appropriate for such projects and provide real opportunities for debate and discussion with groups who may have differing viewpoints. Edna lists a number of options: http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/page1.html

Social networking sites may also provide an ‘engaging’ forum for learning however the focus should be on the educational outcomes rather than ‘novelty’ value.

CyberSafety

It is important to get permission from parents to publish student work or pictures to the internet. Students should also sign an acceptable use agreement which may be modified as required, see Acceptable use agreement. They need to be clear that personal information such as full names or addresses should never be published on the web and should be aware of their 'digital footprint'. 

Some sites allow you to upload an identifying picture. Students should instead upload an avatar such as a voki image or a general picture, not a photo of themselves. They should also be encouraged to always use appropriate language and remember that their work may potentially be seen by millions of other people.

You can view videos and explore lesson plans and online activities related to online safety at Working with the Web. It is critical that you are fully aware of your professional responsibilities in an online environment. For more information, see Working with the Web.

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