For an upcoming book I'm writing, I'm looking for teachers who are using MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or some other social networking forum in their teaching. Obviously, these sites are controversial, and that's why, I think, I'm having difficulty finding teachers who are using them in an educational setting. I have lots of examples of teachers who use blogs and wikis, but I'm not finding many examples of teachers who use social networking sites that are commonly used outside of schools. Any assignment ideas would be welcome and you will be credited in my book!

Tags: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, networking, social

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hey, my class is doing a project on how facebook chat can be used as an educational tool. we would like to share information if you don't mind. this is a big project and we could use any extra help we could get.
Sounds great! Tell me more about your situation. Email me, if you want, at: wkist@kent.edu
We used Twitter last year on a school trip out of state to post updates to our wiki. We don't use it school because the site is blocked. I use Plurk daily as an essential PLN tool. I learn something everyday from my Plurk friends.
Thanks for writing. I'd be interested in hearing more about your use of Twitter last year! Email me, if you have time, at: wkist@kent.edu
Hi I'm with Kyle right below me. What we're undergraduate students at Purdue University and we are creating the first wiki for a specific college or university. it's going to be Purdue sponsored and as of right now it's designed to show useres how to utilize web 2.0 technologies as eduicational tools. we have a group of about 10 purdue students and two international students from Korea trying to create a chapter about Facebook chat and it's educational properties. if we could recieve any information or feedback from you it would be beyond helpful.
Sure, I'd be glad to talk with you and Kyle about this. For my book, I'm looking for K-12 teachers who are using social networks, but I'd be interested in hearing what you're doing too! There seems to be a lot more willingness to use tools like Facebook when the students are adults.
Remember, this social network cannot be used with kids under 13 so you might have trouble finding K-6 examples here. Here is my opinion on social networking (using ning) for younger kids.
thank you. we were having trouble finding a precedents for using facebook in the classroom. if you could point us towards a website or an email of a teacher who has used facebook in their classroom we would be most appreciative
I use Facebook for adult education. I use it to help senior citizens learn about computers. It gives them a place to practice that they can access anywhere.

I would never use it with my high school students - there is too much on it that is risque.
I'm not surprised that you are having trouble finding people to talk about how they use social networking; teachers are looked down upon for having contact with students in anyway outside of school, and I don't mean cooking them dinner or having them clean your gutters. Social networking is quickly becoming the demise of educators, even when used in a responsible and pedagogical way. Have you seen what these kids post? Of course, there are always a few educators who don't think before they post and then their comments are out there in cyberspace for all to read (example, teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenberg, NC who are under "investigation" for inappropriate comments on their PERSONAL pages). I'm embarassed when I read some of these postings. My dream would be to use Myspace/Facebook to post homeworks; I have my own teacher webpage, but really I get maybe 25 visits to that site per school year. Imagine how many students access their socail networking each day, sometimes more than 3 or 4 times a day. If I could post a bulletin that says "10th Grade: Dont forget your vocabulary test is tomorrow", I would reach so many more children. Also, to plan a classroom "chat" about a reading assignment or review for a quiz...the possibilities are endless. The education system is pushing us to make our children "globally competitive for the 21st century" but are resistent to using technology to get them there.
An artist from Boston, Bren Bataclan, has a project called the Smile Boston Project, which involves him leaving his cartoon inspired paintings in public places for people to take for "free". Attached is a note that reads: "This painting is yours if you promise to smile at random people more often." (although his new notes say "Everything will be all right") It's a wonderful way to bring art to people who might not regularly visit art galleries/museums, and it's a great way to spread smiles and happiness! When I heard he was going to be visiting Chicago to drop off paintings, our class followed his whereabouts on Twitter to see where he was leaving paintings in the Chicagoland area. I contacted the artist and asked if he'd be willing to drop a painting off at our elementary school & if he'd be comfortable talking to the kids about his project. What a pleasant surprise! Check out his website. It's a great thing he's doing! Twitter enabled us to follow his travels and to check in and see where he left his paintings!

http://bataclan.com/
What a neat project! I'd like to schedule a phone interview with you to talk more about this. Please email me directly at: wkist@kent.edu

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