Thing #22 MySpace and Facebook

My first experience with social networking was with MySpace. My daughter set up an account and was talking about what she was doing and who she was talking to online. I setup an account to monitor what she was doing.

To say it was educational for me as a parent and teacher is an understatement. I believe social networking is what it is, and it is here to stay.

As educators and parents it is our duty to know what our children/students/friends are doing and saying online. The Internet still makes me cautious, but I feel setting up my own accounts on MySpace, Facebook, etc. has strengthened my relationship with my own children. All four of my children, son-in-law, and lots of their friends are on my friend list of 59 people, as well as many of my friends, colleagues, and family.

Facebook has been more to my liking for a social network of choice. Comparatively I have 59 friends on MySpace and 203 on Facebook.

I have several favorite applications on FB. Pieces of Flair is fun to search and to make my own. Some games I play on FB are Lil Green Patch, Lil Blue Cove, Willy's Sweet Shop, and Hatchlings. It's just plain, clean fun. :)

On Facebook I have connected and reconnected with extended family, high school friends, college friends, former students, and many, many colleagues from school. I think it is a great resource to keep people in touch while building and strengthening friendships.

Part of my liking FB over MySpace could possibly be that more of my friends are on FB than MySpace. There are more opportunities for things to do on FB.

As for educational use, I don't want my students to have access to my personal FB or MySpace. I prefer to keep that part of my life private. I would consider an alias profile to be in touch with my students. I know almost all of them have profiles set up. I believe I could learn a lot from reading their pages. I see social networking at its point in evolution presently as strictly social. I think it will, at some time in the future, have a place in the classroom. I don't think that time has come yet.