Social Networking

I think that there are several ways to use social networking.  The first way is to have a group research project about a different culture.  This method would allow the students to find out about various peoples from around the world by interacting with the people that live in that culture.  First hand experience is always a better way to learn than through the use of books or other second hand methods.  Subtle nuances can be found and explored that may not be seen as important by a researcher.  The students can also be exposed to a variety of cultures in just a few minutes through social networking.  The use of narrative voice can be explored as it was in the activity that was done in class.  One of the biggest drawbacks is the potential of unwanted persons being involved.  There is no way to screen the people that respond to verify their identities.  This allows for the students to be involved with potential predators and all around bad guys.  Another issue with this type of media is that students can be playing games or chatting with friends that have nothing to do with the project assigned.  The only way to avoid this seems to be joining a specific site that is geared for the classroom.  This may not seem like a big deal, but rarely are these sites free as are the larger ones such as Facebook and MySpace.  The idea of social networking is a good one, but it needs to be thought out well in advance of its implementation in order for the site fees to be present when the class is ready for the project.