Get Connected - Fall 2007 - (Page 10)

Continued from cover NSBA Study on Social Networking: The Future of Social Networking Tools “There is no doubt that these online teen hangouts are having a huge influence on how kids today are creatively thinking and behaving,” said Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association. “The challenge for school boards and educators is that they have to keep pace with how students are using these tools in positive ways and consider how they might incorporate this technology into the school setting.” Interactivity breeds creativity Schools still are wary While social networking seems omnipresent in the lives of most teens and ‘tweens, Grissom understands educators’ caution. “As an association, our job is to make sure that the state’s school boards are aware of and exposed to new educational methods and resources,” explains Grissom. “But the help engage kids and move them toward the center of the learning process.” “There’s no doubt that without constraints, social networking tools truly open up the world to our students. Both the positive and the negative,” says Barb Neligan, a professional development instructor for ENA that has Students report they are engaging in highly creative activities on social networking Internet sites including writing, art, and contributing to collaborative online projects whether or not these activities are related to schoolwork. Almost half of students (49 percent) say that they have uploaded pictures they have made or photos they have taken, and more than one in five students (22 percent) report that they have uploaded video they have created. About one in five of the students surveyed are what the study compilers call “nonconformists.” These students “step outside of online safety and behavior rules … [and] are on the cutting edge of social networking, with online behaviors and skills that indicate leadership among their peers.” Nonconformists are significantly heavier users of social networking sites, new media in general and old media. Ironically, nonconformists are significantly more in touch with their parents. Despite their extraordinary set of traditional and 21st century skills, they are significantly more likely to have lower grades, “[suggesting] that schools find ways to engage nonconformists in more creative activities for academic learning.” “There’s no doubt that without constraints, social networking tools truly open up the world to our students. Both the positive and the negative.” —Barb Neligan, a professional development instructor for ENA number-one thing local school boards are entrusted with is keeping our students safe … [S]chool boards across this state are excited about the possibilities of these powerful tools and want to learn more, and many of our teachers are using them successfully already to reach students and boost scores. But we are still in a transitional phase. It’s new for many of us, and it’s coming at us so fast, with developments happening every day, but safety must come first. ” Despite the restrictions and concerns about safety, there is of course some officially sanctioned, educationally packaged social networking taking place in the classroom. “Our study showed that 96 percent of school districts say that at least some of their teachers assign homework requiring Internet use,” said Peter Grunwald of Grunwald Associates. “What this means is that schools may be starting to use the Internet and other technologies more effectively. In the future, schools that incorporate social networking tools in education can 20 years experience developing and delivering classroom, video-based and e-learning events for corporate clients such as Saturn Corporation, Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, Inc., Citibank and GTE. “But what’s important to understand is that when we use blogs, wikis, et cetera in an educational setting, we can control how much of the world we open up. In terms of safety, I believe it’s similar to driving a car. There are risks, absolutely. However, most parents and educators believe that it is important that our students be able to drive a car if they are to function successfully in the world. Now, we don’t just toss them the keys on their sixteenth birthday. We spend a lot of time teaching them the skills they need to drive safely and to manage the risks of being on the road. I think the same dynamic is at work with online social networking. In the end, the benefits of students acquiring these skills do outweigh the risks. The ability to use online social networking technologies is a core skill our students will need to succeed in college and in their careers. Business and government have already adopted online 10

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Get Connected - Fall 2007

Get Connected - Fall 2007 NSBA Social Networking Study A Letter From the President Network Services for Libraries 25th Annual TETC Conference Partnership for 21st Century Skills E-mail Archiving Social Networking 101 Ramp Up for E-Rate Season News From HECC Notes From the CTO

Get Connected - Fall 2007

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