Comments on: Web 2.0, Social Networking and the Classroom http://dcfischer.blogs.plymouth.edu/2008/08/21/web20/ Notes from the former CIO of Plymouth State University Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:06:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Arthur Fried http://dcfischer.blogs.plymouth.edu/2008/08/21/web20/comment-page-1/#comment-82555 Arthur Fried Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:02:26 +0000 http://dcfischer.blogs.plymouth.edu/?p=90#comment-82555 I have a Facebook page, and occasionally communicate with my colleagues and a few students on it. I've been interested in using it as a communication tool with my classes, but to date have held back because it seemed like an imposition. A week or so ago I read an article on the "creepy treehouse" phenomenon that put it in perspective for me. I think that Facebook can be a useful communication tool if we respect the social boundaries between ourselves and our students. They probably don't want to hear too much about our private lives, or even much of what we do professionally. But if we confine our use of Web 2.0 technology to the classes they are in, and approach them in a friendly but professional manner, then these communication tools can be very useful to us, and to them. Also, if you live far off campus like I do, and need to cancel an occasional class due to bad weather, nothing can be more useful than Twitter. I have a Facebook page, and occasionally communicate with my colleagues and a few students on it. I’ve been interested in using it as a communication tool with my classes, but to date have held back because it seemed like an imposition. A week or so ago I read an article on the “creepy treehouse” phenomenon that put it in perspective for me. I think that Facebook can be a useful communication tool if we respect the social boundaries between ourselves and our students. They probably don’t want to hear too much about our private lives, or even much of what we do professionally. But if we confine our use of Web 2.0 technology to the classes they are in, and approach them in a friendly but professional manner, then these communication tools can be very useful to us, and to them.

Also, if you live far off campus like I do, and need to cancel an occasional class due to bad weather, nothing can be more useful than Twitter.

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