Social Networking for students...uh oh...

Social Networking comes to education…at least for the kids.

Social Networking is basically sites where users build a community and share information. MySpace and Facebook are among the largest social networking communities and sites on the net. However, there are many other types of social networks. Several years ago someone started a site called Rate My Professors. It was a place where students could go and read about a professor they might want to take for a particular class.

When I was in college we did the same thing…only my circle of people to ask was relatively small. With a social networking site like this you can get the opinions of people you don’t even know but that might still have valuable information to share. I use Amazon the same way…I read people’s reviews of products I’m thinking of buying so why not review a professor. The site was so successful that it has spawned an offshoot call Rate My Teachers. Sites like this are causing concern in the educational community. The teacher's union in the UK is even asking lawmakers to review the law to see if it is even legal for these sites are legal and if teachers deserve any special protection.

Upon finding the Ratemyteacher site I had to see if Indian Hill was listed…..it certainly was at
http://www.ratemyteachers.com/schools/ohio/cincinnati/indian_hill_high_school

Fortunately the elementary students haven’t started their reviews yet, but the HS students certainly have. I'm sure it makes some people uncomfortable, but I don’t think a site like this needs to be banned as students have a right to their opinion….but it certainly does open up a whole can of worms in terms of privacy. Does someone have the right to publish information about you? RateMyTeacher does give a place for teachers to respond to postings, but how is a teacher even to know that something has even been said about them....good or bad.

If you do have a few minutes you might enjoy looking up some of your own college professors. The RateMyProfessors site even offers video segments called “Professors Strike Back” where professors can offer their own video rebuttal.

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com
http://www.ratemyteachers.com/

The Death of Email

If you were lucky enough to attend our tech conference this August then you to hear Ian Jukes wax about the difference between students (digital natives) and us (digital immigrants). The argument follows that we (immigrants) use the phone and they (natives) use email. Well, research shows that the gap might just be widening. Just about the time email becomes second nature to us something else comes along that broadens the gap. The Slate reports that today’s younger generation no longer bothers with email….instead they prefer to text message, instant message, twitter, or post to Facebook. I’m sure you have heard about Facebook, but perhaps you haven’t heard of Twitter. Twitter is a site where you can post almost minute by minute what you are doing. Not only can you access the service with the web you can also tweet with a cell phone. So, if you want to keep up with the younger folk, you need to start using some new services such as Facebook and Twitter. Several Middle School teachers as a way to reach their students have created Facebook accounts. I would certainly recommend that any adult (parent, teacher) get a Facebook account just to tap into how our learners are using technology as well as their free time.

http://www.slate.com/id/2177969