Social Networks

I never thought I would be into the whole "social networking" scene.  That is, until my friends at work forced me to create a Facebook account.  Now I find myself checking on my friends daily through my RSS feed and my phone!  It has been an excellent way to keep up with my colleagues through summer break.  My students find me on Facebook to ask questions about assignments, and parents check in to see about their child's progress and/or behavior in class.  Although I do not allow my students or their parents on my personal Facebook page, they are always welcome to send me messages.  It has been a beneficial tool for communication with my students and parents.  Earlier this week after having to create a Twitter account for class, I asked my students how many of them use this social networking site.  I was surprised that many did not.  Out of 150 students, only four of my kiddos actually use this.  So, as of right now, I will probably not incorporate it into my classroom.  I enjoyed watching the video of the history professor that uses Twitter in her classroom.  I will be assessing how I can incorporate something like this into my teaching for next year.  I am anxious to better learn this tool not only to incorporate it into my classroom but to enhance my own professional development by connecting with professional sites and people.  We did run into some issues last year with students bullying other students through Facebook.  It was easily squashed at school, but I fear that students can use this as a way of getting under each other's skin.  I think that the incorporation of social networking sites into the classroom will allow me as a teacher to deal with some of those bullying issues and offer an opportunity on how to use proper etiquette when on the Internet.  I am looking forward to learning more about social networks and how to better utilize them in my professional endeavors.