Other organizational links included -
- Strong American Schools and the SAS Facebook page
- Eduwonk and the eduwonkcom Facebook version
- Education Week and the EdWeek Facebook site
With Human Resource agencies looking so closely now at FB and Myspace sites in terms of hiring, it might be a safe move to become a member or fan of such groups.
However, being a physical educator, I wanted to see what else was out there in my field. I was a little surprised at the amount of fun groups people have created, such as the Penn State Kinesiology FB site, which apparently only accepts those currently in the program and serves simply as a group that people joined; I actually am interested in what they might talk about but there is an extreme lack of postings thus far - none! On the professional side, I was disappointed to only see a few real organizations, such as PE Central (FB site). I cannot tell if this means that there are not a lot of professional groups who have ventured onto FB, or if there is a lack of "calling" to do so. Of course, now I say this with perhaps the same disposition where I know I do not have the time to manage and update such a site...but then who will? And what type of person does it take to do so?
I make all these comments only cause I am interested to see a little bit more how organizations develop, how change is made, how advocacy works, how do leaders lead, etc. I realize using FB may not be appropriate for the classroom but it got me to do a little more professional research than I probably would have done.
Of course, this brings up another good point about advocating for technology in schools. Clearly, bringing in tools that students can relate to will help enhance the experience, give a deeper and more meaningful understanding, and perhaps motivate learning. Thoughts?
so...i'm not going to give you any helpful thoughts, but did have an epiphany lately about facebook and such. I have been on facebook since college, but haven't really kept up with it. I have never had a myspace page and have always been kind of blah about them both. I felt better about myself for not succumbing to the wave that was coming over the world. But now, I am beginning to realize, that this is they way people are going to communicate. This is no longer just a creepy way to look at random people's pictures. It is a validated form of communication. So, I have decided to change my name back to Brian Lachance (changed it so kids couldn't find me) and begin to use it for its advantages
ReplyDeleteI think it's a very fine line with the use of facebook and myspace. Although it seems that EVERYONE (including legitimate organizations and companies) are on one or the other, it still makes me a bit nervous being a teacher. Perhaps people will begin to (or maybe already do so) make separate personal and professional pages so that they do not have to be weary of professional employers, students, grandparents, etc. viewing many aspects of one's personal life. On the same token, I'm not sure how interested my friends would be to hear every aspect of my teaching life!
ReplyDeleteI am with Brian on the whole FB MySpace thing. I only created them to please my wife but have come to realize that is how the world is communicating now. I don't feel comfortable having my pictures and information out there for anyone to see.
ReplyDeleteMy dad has been encouraging me to make a professional facebook page. I have a personal one which I have used to connect with "old" friends, but it seems that many businesses and organizations are using facebook in a professional manner. This may be a way to get my professional aspirations and experiences out there but will it be looked at in a good way?
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