Social Networking for K-12 Education

Teachers in K-12 education face a tough road in using social networking Web 2.0 tools. All schools are required by federal law to use a web filter to "prevent bad things" from being accessed by students. Since not all schools in the United States use the same web filter, teachers who want to deploy social networking tools need to have a dialog with both their technology staff and administrative staff. On the administration side teachers need to have approval to begin using these new web sites and communication tools. Having the school leaders and board of education on the teacher's side is important if something would "go wrong." If there are no board policies in publishing to social network sites, help create one. Being proactive helps gain support rather than defending against a lawsuit!

Bring up the discussion at your technology committee meeting to get the feedback of other teachers and school personnel. This help the technology staff see the demand and requests for using new tools. Many social tools are able to be installed to local servers and can help stop possible web filter blockage. The technology staff can also help in developing a school or district-wide social network site like on Ning.com or a WordPress for blogs.

Look for tools that are designed for education use. Many people know and use Twitter.com for microblogging. This site is not friendly for education use and requires locking the account down to prevent undesirable followers. Instead try out Edmodo.com for microblogging which is designed for educational use. There are also more features such as link sharing, calendar events, file sharing, sending out assignments, and creating groups. To join a code is used and having an email address is optional which means parents and students only need web access to view the information but an email if helpful for notifications.

So remember, don't wait to join the Web 2.0 Social Networking age, get your school staff involved and keep everyone in the loop. Get support and go for it! Give your IT staff a heads up and be willing to be a test pilot for the school. About all keep your school life separated from your personal life. This would mean use only your school email for social networks relating to school and even create a separate Facebook account if you want to use that with parents and students. All email and data at school is archived and can be used in any lawsuit or sunshine request.

Have fun and get social!
Jim