Just an interesting article that came up when I was researching. Not sure that I would ever use Facebook in the classroom, but for all of you who may be teaching upper grades maybe this is something to consider?

I was most interested in the responses from this article that are listed below the actual article. One response recommended www.fatclass.com as a social networking tool that works great in the classroom. "Andy Carvin: Internet activist, author, Edtech expert. Learning.now is a weblog that explores how new technology and Internet culture affect how educators teach and children learn. It will offer a continuing look at how new technology such as wikis, blogs, vlogs, RSS, podcasts, social networking sites, and the always-on culture of the Internet are impacting teacher and students' lives both inside and out of the classroom."

This is an eye opening article that alerts educators to get out of their comfort zones and work with students rather than against them. As digital natives, young students might just learn best by using technology and teachers need to recognize and embrace this. There were a few ideas that I didn't fully agree with, but lots of practical points were made in this article that could help beginning teachers to make the best of their first years.

I read the same article and wondered what you thought about allowing students to use cell phones as a way to communicate within the classroom? Maybe from my perspective, it seems unnecessary because I will be teaching elementary students but what did you think?