Module 4 Reading Reflection

After reading the article, Social Networking Goes to School, I had mixed feelings. I am able to see both points of view. I think social networking has become such a huge influence on this generation of students that it is brilliant to incorporate their interests into the classroom. However, social networking does not come without risks. We have had several incidences in our high school where students have been bullied or threatened via means of social networking. In addition, there have been police reports filed for cases where students have made harrassing statements about teachers on social networking sites. The key to bringing social networking into the classroom is keeping it private, monitoring what is being said, and making it your own. For instance, when using a social networking site with a class I think it is necessary to create an entirely new account- whether it be for Facebook, Twitter, or any other networking site. This way everyone is expected to have a school appropriate profile and must obey school rules at all times. I understand the points of view in the article. This is a very fine line to be walking, but I believe it is necessary to make these leaps if we are going to stay current with technology and the interests of each generation to come.