Social networking is a relatively popular tool that is utilized nationally. I find that it is very time consuming and an invasion of privacy for others. I personally pick and choose which networking sites I become involved with. At the present time I am researching LinkedIn. I can't say that I am able to log in regularly so it's not very useful. Facebook is a very popular site that many students use on a daily basis. I don't have any experience using this site, but I understand that it can also cause harm to the individual user. As the reading stated, it was initially used for campus communication only. Now it has grown to include business communication and the general population as a whole.
As a future media specialist social networking would be a great addition to the media center. I could see delegating the maintenance and monitoring to the media clerk and a few responsible teachers who had the additional time on any given day. This would comprise of a team of staff members who would collaborate prior about posting any information and share the duties. MySpace is another popular networing site that is often plagued with negative reactions. I have noticed that the user has to block his personal information in order to guard himself against unwanted "friends". I am not a fan of this site, but if used properly it can be beneficial.
The overall goal of social networking sites are to have fun and enjoy the experience. You have complete control of the personality and the tone of the site. It would be best to showcase students engaged in activities where they are interacting with their peers and teachers. It would also be helpful to use this space to advertise and announce upcoming events and projects that will be conducted in the media center.
Social networking does invite threats, but if maintained properly it can be a very rewarding tool for the media specialist.
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1 comment:
Happ1,
I agree with you that social networking would be a gread addition to a media center. Teachers could collaborate with each other online, and students could also interact with each other. I believe that the site should be self contained within a school. I do not like the idea of using facebook of Myspace in a school setting because I think it open students up to potential predators. If used properly I do agree with you that social networking could be beneficial in a school setting.
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