Kurt & Kelly's Web 2.0 Challenge: Challenge #4

Time to be social.

Back to CommonCraft for a quick overview of Social Networking in Plain English.

Some of the most wildly popular Web 2.0 tools include social networks...AKA Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and a plethora of others, each appealing to different crowds with a bit of overlap as well. And since a 2007 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that 55% of all teens use social networking sites, it's time for us to do the same if we want to reach them "where they're at."

Take the plunge.

We realize this is scary business for some of you...and for others, just plain despicable. We're not going to torture you and make you create a MySpace account, but we are going to take a look into Facebook and Twitter. MySpace pages are more open to the public by nature, while Facebook allows you to remain almost entirely private if you wish. Twitter is still relatively new, but growing like gangbusters with older -- that is to say post-teen -- folks. Both Facebook and Twitter have huge potential for reaching target audiences. At this time, Facebook is much more widely used by our students, but you may find Twitter catching on soon. At any rate, Twitter is huge "out there" in the world.

Our Challenge to You:

Set up an account in both Facebook and Twitter.
Friend (FB lingo) and follow (Twitter lingo) at least three other people simply to see how things are done. If you don't know where to start, there are a number of staff members already on FB, so start there. We won't bite.
Find a group or page to become a fan of on FB, and follow a business, group, or celebrity on Twitter. Go ahead and put a hobby or interest into the search fields, and you'll find tons of options.
Consider creating a page for classroom use. In FB, you will NOT want students to become your friends, as all of their pictures and information becomes available to you. Trust us, as mandated reporters, you don't want that. Instead, log out of your personal FB profile and "Create a Page" (see picture at right). Students can "become a fan" of your page and receive all of your reminders, video or picture posts, and all kinds of other information without giving up their privacy. Become a fan and follow the LHS Media Center.

Points of Discussion:

Are you a newbie to social networks or an avid user?
How can sites like Facebook and Twitter be beneficial in the world of education?
Do you think you'll continue to use these tools? Why or why not?

Take It a Step Further: (Optional)

Search iGoogle for the Twitter and Facebook gadgets and add them to your iGoogle page.
When you find an interesting article, column, video, link, etc., share it to your FB or Twitter profiles via the share tools (often at the bottom of an article).