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How social networking tools can help engage community college students

Intesesting article about LinkedIn and other social networks such as FaceBook, Twitter, and Google+   Not directly related to education but does speak to the role of social networks in the 21st century

A growing number of kids at increasingly younger ages are engaging in online social networking today-a development that is leading to a surge of news stories, media attention, and economic investment. In this paper, produced with the generous support of Cisco Systems and the Digital Media and Learning Hub at the University of California, Irvine, scholars Sara Grimes and Deborah Fields argue that these shifts in usage and public discussion demand a better understanding of the ways that social networking sites mediate kids' socializing and the opportunities and limits they place on kids' participation, particularly for young children.

A new social network for colleges and universities called "GoingOn." Maybe the new Edmodo for higher ed? This article is a Q&A with the designer. Something interesting to keep your eyes on...

Teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites

Social Network for teachers in schools? An interesting approach to learning communities. I'm interested to see how schools are using this tool. 

Ning trying to spread it's wings. Let's users create their own social networks-mini facebooks-if you will. Ning is slowly becoming popular in classrooms and institutions of higher learning

Coming to terms with "Friendship" in a (socially) networked world.

A social network for educators interested in Web 2.0 technologies. Here you can connect with other educators who are interested in talking about the challenges and opportunities of using Web 2.0 technologies in all kinds of learning settings.

This article is interesting in light of Haste's article for class. Gladwell dismisses the "Twitter revolution" in Moldova and explains that real activism--real civic participation--is not seen in low-risk online networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Perhaps new technology cannot empower individuals enough for real-life civic engagement?

I am not sure that online networks only form weak ties. I am somewhat surprised there was no mention of http://www.meetup.com/ and the soon to be released http://www.jumo.com/ as they both appear to consider themselves to be a means for social change. There is another point raised that we seem to have forgotten activism. This point, if true, may be a good explination as to why social media is not commonly used for social change.

Thanks for posting this Jessica! I've been thinking about this for sometime now and I don't think Gladwell is right in saying that Twitter and FB form weak ties just as the SM folklore claiming that twitter or FB is in the middle of real activism. Social media is a tool for organizing civic participation. Civic engagement is defined by how many participate and only later by the platform/tool they use. Couple of reactions to Gladwell's piece: http://rburnett.ecuad.ca/main/2010/10/1/the-anti-gladwell-small-change-indeed.html http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/tipping_point_author_malcolm_gladwell_says_facebook_twitter_cant_change_world.php

Teens today say that the ability to freely use Facebook and Twitter at work could influence their decision to accept a job

privacy law needs an update in the post-Internet age--the government is monitoring social networking sites

It looks like many people are starting to use real names and not just monikers as the value of transparency increases among social network participants.

Twitter and LinkedIn have partnered up so that "tweets" are now a part of LinkedIn, which is a social networking site for professionals.

"unfriend" has been chosen to be the word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary. unfriend = remove someone from your friend list on a social networking site.

This company has raised $7 million dollars in venture capital money to develop an online test prep web site that hopes to encourage students to spend time preparing for tests such as the SAT by eliminating deterrents such as scheduling conflicts and location issues and adding a social networking aspect.

Many of the schools with which I come in to contact- including mine- reinvent the wheel when it comes to acceptable use policy at great expense of time and often little influence of "best practice." Why not make use of the good work and attention that has been deliberated by other educators who have already wrestled through the problem.

Along the lines of the discussions we've been having on the isites, mobile learning has major potential in the developing world. "Mobile phones are increasingly ubiquitous in poor countries, which now account for FOUR IN EVERY FIVE connections worldwide". This means that almost everyone owns or has access to a mobile phone. How can we leverage this reality? Well, we can't impose anything that requires a smart phone, since most of these mobile phones cannot access 3G or wifi networks. Perhaps we can start to send podcasts as voice notes? Audio wikis of information sent via sms? In-phone calculators for math homework completion? I think all we need is an educational system that supports this type of learning, and m-learning can possible change the face of education in the developing world.