Social Networking Sites for the Classroom

 

By: Brenden McHenry and Kendra Kaufman

 

Social Networking Sites are online services that build and reflect social networks that might exist geographically or socially. Most of these sites incorporate messaging and e-mail services and many allow users to share ideas, activities, events and interests with those in their network. 

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Major Social Networking Sites

    

  Facebook is currently the most popular social networking site (SNS) in the world. Allowing users to create profiles, add other users as 'friends', send messages, and be automatically reminded when a 'friend' updates their profile. Facebook users can join groups, message friends, post pictures, visit fan pages, play application games, and post their current status. Facebook is used by roughly 1 out of every 14 people in the world.

 

 Twitter is a social network and microblogging website. Allowing users to send out short (140 characters) messages or 'tweets' to friends or fans, Twitter allows users to 'follow' other users by subscribing to their 'tweets'. A company called Odeo created Twitter. The company wanted to keep up with it's competition like the company Apple. Odeo decided to create a SNS that gave it's users the opportunity to keep their friends informed in what they were doing.

 

   Delicious is a social bookmarking service that allows users to store, share, and discover web bookmarks. The Delicious home page lists websites that users have found to be interesting or helpful. Users can even share their bookmarks with other users. The site has gained popularity in recent years as a valuable tool in education. 

 

How to Videos:

Signing up for Facebook is simple, upon visiting the home page fill out the following section:

 Once you've signed up the following video can help you learn the basics: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This video will help you get started using Twitter:

 

 

 

This video explains how to use Delicious and how to use it in the classroom:

 

 

 

How to Use Social Networking Sites in the Classroom:

 

Social Networking Sites can be used in a variety of classrooms fitting many ages, while online privacy and safety are a vital concern in this modern age, we do no suggest using Social Networking Sites with children under the age of 13. Listed below are several inventive ways teachers can use Social Networking Sites in different content areas. However the following sites offer tips and guidance to teachers in any content area:

 

The Facebook Classroom: This website has over 25 different applications that can be used on Facebook to enhance the educational process.

Online College: This website offers simple ways Facebook can be used in the classroom.

University Business: This website lists several simple rules and tips for using Twitter in education.

Teacher's Resource: This website offers innovative ways to use Twitter in your classroom.

Delicious in Education: This website offers some simple tips and hints about how to use Delicious in the classroom.

 

Theatre:

Theatre teachers can use SNS in their classrooms in many differing ways; posting links to popular and impactful performances, posing critical and thought provoking questions, and providing links to websites and articles that may influence students'. As seen below, SNS can be used in the theatre classroom to start discussions and assign homework. In this example, the teacher assigned homework using the website Delicious to navigate students to the correct website:

 

Theatre (Cont.)

Theatre teachers can also use SNS in their classrooms by posting discussion questions on Twitter and students can respond to the quote through their Twitter account. Also, a creative way to get theatre students thinking about the characters they have created in class scenes or monologues is they can create a Facebook account as their character and then interact with other student's in character. This will aid students in thinking about what their character would be like out of the world of the play and how the character would interact with other people.

 

Social Networking Sites such as Facebook or Twitter can also be used to teach students the ins and outs of marketing. By having students create "Events" on Facebook, students can learn how to get the word out about upcoming productions. Students can add pictures of the production to the event and could even add a promotional video for the show. After polishing the event page students can invite their friends and encourage others to do the same to let as many people know about the production as possible. The following is a real life example of a  production advertised through Facebook:

 

 

 

Another way to incorporate SNS into your theatre classroom is to have students play the role of a dramaturg. When working on a production challenge students to research the time period, characters, writer, and circumstances under which the play was written. Students can then share links to this information by posting them on their Twitter, Facebook, or Delicious accounts.

 

History:

History teachers can use SNS as a way to ask their students critical and thought provoking questions. Students will use this technology like a discussion board and helps to provided a safe environment for even quiet students to get their thoughts out to the class. Also, History teachers can use some of the applications on Facebook like Northwestern Trail (Oregon Trail) when studying American History. 

 

Business:

Students in business classes can use the SNS Twitter as a way business' can use the site to communicate with their customers. For example, restaurants use Twitter as a way to tweet their followers daily specials and a realtor might use the site to tweet about new homes on the market. SNS are a great way for companies to reach their customers on a daily basis.

 

English:

English teachers can use SNS to enhance their classroom in several ways. Teachers can post links to thought-provoking articles and discussions online for their students to research. Teachers can also encourage the use of the "Notes" feature of Facebook. This feature allows users to post a piece of writing, share it with selected users, and then receive feedback from the users. Using this type of platform might be easier for students that are nervous or shy to show their work and still get feedback.

 

Foreign Languages:

Foreign language teachers can use SNS as a way to connect with pen pals in other countries. This way no paper is wasted in the process and students can have immediate contact with their pen pals. Also, Foreign language teachers can use applications like "language exchange" on Facebook. This application helps students to find a language exchange partner and is a place for people around the world to help each other learn new languages. Foreign language teachers can also use Twitter and Facebook to leave a topic for students to talk about in the language they are learning or given them a sentence to translate.

 

Math:

Math teachers can integrate this tool into their classroom in small fun ways; using Twitter, teachers can post mathematic problems for their students to solve and then comment their answer or bring them into the classroom during the next period. Teachers can also use these websites to link their students to websites that can help reinforce what they have been learning and possibly push them to think more about certain topics and problems.

 

Science:

Science teachers can use SNS to connect their students with scientific news and discoveries. This teacher updates their Twitter periodically with links to thought-provoking articles and websites:

 

 

 

 

This video can be used as a way to teach Government, History, and even Business students how to use the SNS Twitter as a way to effect social change through the internet. Even Theatre classes could benefit watching this video when learning about Theatre for Social Change and could create a scene about how to effect social change through the internet.

 

Resources Used:

 

Learn more about Delicious by going to this website

http://www.delicious.com/help/learn

 

http://www.delicious.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.twitter.com

http://www.edutopia.org/how-use-social-networking-technology

http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/15-facebook-apps-perfect-for-online-education

http://sites.google.com/site/deliciousineducation/

 http://www.onlinecol…k-in-your-classroom/

http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1285

http://www.ibritt.com/resources/tr_twitter.htm

 

http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/30/how-twitter-was-born/