Social Networking and Eugene Levy

I admit I have been against social media from the beginning. I did not get a Facebook page right away and I do not have any other social media sites. I think all media has a time, a place, and a specific use but I think it is a bit gimmicky to try and show students how social networking sites can be used for education. To use an analogy to illustrate what I mean, it would be like Eugene Levy dressing up in skinny jeans and a plaid shirt and a Justin Bieber hair cut, using the vernacular of our students today explaining the importance of completing their homework. That being said, I believe some can be useful tools, like Edmodo and Twitter for students to communicate about assignments and projects. From a professional development standpoint I see the value of Twitter to follow blogs, e-mags, and sharing ideas. I can see how those sites would be useful in a classroom setting, but some of the others like Facebook, I just don’t see the point.  My rule of thumb is that if the tool is not going to assist in making the content relevant then it is not worth our valuable time in the classroom. Plus some social networking sites have lost students attention because they are so often used. They are bored with it; they want the next greatest thing. Furthermore, as a parent, I want my child using tools that they would at a potential job. The website below is a list of the

Top 40 Social Networking Sites Worldwide some can be used professionally and others are likely not as useful.