Social networking has the potential to help or hinder students. First and foremost, if it is to be used in an educational setting, students should be encouraged to use proper grammar and mechanics when typing and talking to one another. It is so tempting to use internet slang, emoticons, and “txt” abbreviations. I have used a type of educational social networking with my students in the past called ThinkQuest. It is a very cool tool to have with your students. You can manage your classes and monitor their activity. They can communicate with you and other students through comment boards and private messaging. It is also possible to make polls that your students can cast their vote on.
By using these types of tools, students can greatly improve their computer keyboarding skills and their communication skills. These skills can only be improved upon if they are taught and encouraged to use it correctly. Having a social networking that is able to be monitored is the best way to go. When using ThinkQuest we actually had an issue with cyber bullying. If we had not been able to monitor student activity – including private messages – this could have continued. If you are using a social network that is not monitored then those situations could be harder to manage and prevent.
I agree that it would take some training to get students to use proper grammar on social networking in education. It is almost second nature for people in social networking situations to use the abbreviations and shortcuts that are associated with them. After training students differentiate between educational settings and social settings much could be accomplished through the activities involved. I also agree that students could improve grammar, keyboarding, and communication skills through activities involved with social networking in education. Monitoring is always a concern and should be manged to the greatest degree to assure safe and proper use of the internet. Great post.
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