If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: educators who recognize how much social networking engages and informs kids are creating their own sites as learning tools that foster collaboration among students, teachers, and parents.(social networking)

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...Lindsay Lohan, all the while uploading content to a personal page.

Now imagine knocking on the bedroom door, but entering to find that same teen online discussing geometry or the fatal flaws of Prince Hamlet. Or perhaps producing a podcast on the political climate of Sudan.

Seem too good to be true? Well, it's becoming more of a reality. Recognizing the value that social networks otter in disseminating information and encouraging communication in a format that students crave, school districts nationwide are taking an if-you-can't-beat-'em-join-'em attitude and launching their own school-oriented social networks.

According to a January 2007 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 55 percent of teens (ages 12 to 17) report having created a personal profile online, and an equal number regularly use social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook. Of those, 91 percent use the sites to stay in touch with friends they see frequently.

With all that screen time, students are acutely attuned to--and sometimes more comfortable with--living in the digital world. Thus, it follows that their learning should become more digital, say proponents of social networking in education.

"Social networking has gotten a bad rap, and I think that's wrong," says Jim Klein, director of information services and technology at Saugus Union School District in Santa Clarita Valley, CA. "It offers lots of options and opportunities that school districts should be taking advantage of."

"Sometimes it's hard to convince teachers to use technology as a mechanism for learning," says Kirsten Jordan, online community partnerships coordinator for TakingITGlobal, an online community that features an education-themed social networking site called TIGed. Jordan says that just showing educators bow they can use social networking for educational purposes can be productive. "Once you do that, they can see."

Issues and Options

Departing from the more commonly known sites such as MySpace. a number of school districts are opting...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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