Thing 18

I was very excited when I clicked on Thing 18. For once I actually felt like I wasn't totally in the dark. I already have both a Facebook and Myspace page. So, my goal for this activity was to try to learn a little more about each one of them. I just found a widget on my profile page on Facebook, so I added it to my blog. I never would have thought about doing that if I hadn't learned about it with Del.icio.us in the last Thing. If you want to see my page, just click on the widget and you can add me as a friend. I don't use Myspace as much as Facebook. Although that hasn't always been the case. When I first discovered Myspace a few years ago, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. It took me a while to figure out all of the features and how to create my page, but I eventually got it. Now, I'm much busier and have quite a few more commitments. Many people are moving to Facebook, and I myself, am one of them. You can add much more of your personality to Myspace, but Facebook is much more simple and user friendly. I enjoy it so much. I think it's great that I can keep up with my friends, family, and school so easily.
Myspace does have a place where you can write blog entries. I never paid much attention to it before, but now that I'm doing my my own blog, I really like that aspect of it. They both offer different chat services as well. All in all, I think it comes down to personal preference when choosing which network to use. If you can't decide, then why not use both! They serve the main purpose well, which is to connect people around the world. It's just unbelievable to me how easy they make it to keep in touch.
I think it's important that educators know about social networking because it's the future of education. This is the way most people communicate with each other, kids especially. I think on Facebook, it's really nice that you can have a profile for you school or club. The students and parents could become fans/friends on there and keep up with new information and be updated constantly. This would be especially nice for parents who were very busy. I think it could even be a great way for parents and teachers to communicate with one another. It's quick and simple, and most people already have accounts on there. The teacher could set up a page just for that purpose. I think the possibilities for this are unending!
I became a fan of APSU's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. You have to log into your facebook account to see their page. I also found the first college I attended in Ohio and my high school as well. I have so many friends out there that I probably never would have heard from after high school, had it not been for Facebook and Myspace. These social networking sites are a great way to use the technology available to benefit ourselves, our schools, and our future.