Introduction
The use of social networking sites in schools is seen by some as an important educational tool and by others as nothing more than a deterrent and distraction. Social networking sites as well as the activities you can perform on them including: blogging, media-sharing, commenting, and testimonials to name a few, provide opportunities for high school students to participate, collaborate, create and share work with students beyond their own classrooms as well as facilitate the teaching of new skills in digital literacy, increased opportunities for creativity in both teaching and learning as well as linking school work to relevant and meaningful experiences outside the classroom. However, social networking usage in schools is not without risk. As educators increasingly implement these technological tools as part of their classroom environment and curriculum they also face challenges in terms of the ease of student distractibility, academic dishonesty, cyberbullying, issues regarding other social behaviors and identity as well as online safety concerns. Whichever way one chooses to view the use of social networking and other technological tools in the classroom, changes are taking place in how we view teaching and learning. As we move forward key questions need to be addressed in regard to what this means for curriculum, policy and pedagogy in this new age of education.
The use of social networking sites in schools is seen by some as an important educational tool and by others as nothing more than a deterrent and distraction. Social networking sites as well as the activities you can perform on them including: blogging, media-sharing, commenting, and testimonials to name a few, provide opportunities for high school students to participate, collaborate, create and share work with students beyond their own classrooms as well as facilitate the teaching of new skills in digital literacy, increased opportunities for creativity in both teaching and learning as well as linking school work to relevant and meaningful experiences outside the classroom. However, social networking usage in schools is not without risk. As educators increasingly implement these technological tools as part of their classroom environment and curriculum they also face challenges in terms of the ease of student distractibility, academic dishonesty, cyberbullying, issues regarding other social behaviors and identity as well as online safety concerns. Whichever way one chooses to view the use of social networking and other technological tools in the classroom, changes are taking place in how we view teaching and learning. As we move forward key questions need to be addressed in regard to what this means for curriculum, policy and pedagogy in this new age of education.