Social networking and blogging sites are some of the highest visited sites on the web today, particularly by young people. Schools should not ignore this fact as the use of social networking sites increase dramatically. Instead, schools should be embracing the use and demand of these sites as they hold significant educational opportunities. Despite the obvious problems, such as cyber bullying and cyber safety, the benefits of giving schools access to social networking sites are far too great to ignore. Instead of blocking or restricting access to social networking sites, schools need to come up with a solution that allows students the opportunity to gain the educational benefits from these sites while using the technology safely and appropriately.
In recent years we are seeing extremely high numbers of young people using social networking sites. A survey conducted in 2009 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics tells us that a huge 79% of children aged 5-14 years use the internet (ABS, 2009), while the Neilson Company found that, “Globally, social networks and blogging sites are the most popular online category… With 206.9 million unique visitors, Facebook was the No. 1 global social networking destination in December 2009 and 67% of global social media users visited the site during the month. Time on site for Facebook has also been on the rise, with global users spending nearly six hours per month on the site” (nielsonwire, 2010).With such high usage, it is obvious that there is a huge interest in Web 2.0 technology, therefore it would be sensible for educators to develop digital literacy skills in order to use this as a tool for learning in the classroom.
Because of the interest in social networking and blogging sites, class content delivered using this technology is more likely to grab the attention of students. This kind of delivery is a more user-friendly, attractive and interactive way of delivering information, Tapscott and Williams point out, “Increasingly, people prefer to participate in a new generation of user-fabricated communities where users engage and co-create with their peers” (Taranto & Abbondanza, 2009, p38). This type of learning is also more appropriate for students that have struggled with more traditional methods of teaching as
Notley states, “Case study research has suggested that the flexible, personalised, experiential and informal learning opportunities that online network platforms provide can better suit young people who have struggled with the industrial one-size-fits-all style of teaching that still characterises the mainstream school systems in most developed nations” (Notley, 2008. P8). So we can see that by targeting the interests of young people, we are more likely to see results in their learning.
Web 2.0 is able to provide rich learning opportunities for students. It allows instant and immediate access to educational resources. Integrating Web 2.0 technology into the classroom gives students the opportunity to learn the skills to research, collaborate and critically evaluate information. Students are also able to share their own work with peers and provide comments and feedback on each others work. Learning researcher, Christine Greenhow states, "Students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout. They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and film and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The Web sites offer tremendous educational potential” (ScienceDaily, 2008). Students are not only learning valuable skills of online network use, but they are also able to become more responsible for their own learning which in turn enables the learners to feel more fulfilled from their educational experience.
The use of social networking and blogging sites does in fact pose some risks. Researchers have identified chat rooms, instant messaging services, and social networking sites as online environments where people can be groomed by pedophiles, sexually harassed, and be exposed to violent or pornographic material (Notley. 2008. p3). These sites also leave open the threat of cyber bullying. However, blocking these web sites from schools does not in fact solve the problem, as young people are still accessing these sites from home, where these threats still lie. The best solution is to inform and teach children about the risks, how to deal with the risks and how to use Web 2.0 appropriately and safely. Notley’s source Byron emphasizes this need for media literacy training in schools, “We need to empower people with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to embrace new technology to make the decisions that will protect themselves” (Notley, 2008, P5)
Given the significant educational benefits of social networking and blogging sites, it is not appropriate to block access to these sites in schools. Blocking these sites is depriving students of the opportunity to not only learn from the rich resources that Web 2.0 has to offer, but also denies them of the opportunity to learn how to use the technology safely and appropriately. Instead of blocking social networking and blogging sites, schools need to equip both educators and students with the knowledge of the technology to be able to safeguard them selves against ay potential cyber risks.
Sources
- nielsenwire. 2010. Led by Facebook, Twitter, Global Time Spent on Social Media Sites Up 82%. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/global/led-by-facebook-twitter-global-time-spent-on-social-media-sites-up-82-year-over-year/[accessed 16 July 2010]
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2009. Household Use of Information Technology, Australia 2008-2009. http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0/ [accessed 17 July 2010]
- Notley, T. 2008. Online Network Use in Schools. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/14997/1/14997.pdf[accessed 16 July 2010]
-ScienceDaily. 2008. Educational Benefits of Social Networking Sites Uncovered. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620133907 [accessed 16 July 2010]
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