Social+Networks

Facebook
[|www.facebook.com]

Facebook is a well known social networking site. Originally users had to be a part of an educational institution with an email that had a .edu in it, but Facebook has opened itself to the public in recent years. Facebook allows people to create an account where they can interact with others through applications, status updates and walls.Here is a Facebook fan page for the [|Brentwood School Library]. The librarian gives status updates on library openings and closings, asks for recommendations on books to read and posts articles her fans might be interested in. The fan pages are interesting because they can be wiki-like, in the sense that they can have multiple administrators and fans can post on the page. Since "going public" Facebook has added many applications to its site to make it more customizable. The visual bookshelf application allows users to post and share books they are reading or have read and write reviews of these books.

There are many negative attitudes towards social networking, but social networking is becoming increasingly accepted as a normal way to communicate. I know many teachers who are "friends" with students and ex-students on Facebook. I am not sure how I feel about this. Most of the teachers restrict the amount of information their students can see through privacy tools, but it still puts me ill at ease because it blur the lines between student and teacher. So I think the concept of fan pages or groups for school libraries is great way to reach teens. You don't have to be friends with your students, but you can still get information to them in a vehicle that they enjoy getting information through.

Melissa Murphey

**Nings**
I think that Nings are valuable social networking tools in education and library settings because they are powerful. A Ning allows let’s say a librarian to setup his or her very own social network with video, picture, discussion, email, blog, and many more capabilities giving him/her power to edit the site as well as add new members. The librarian and the student and other teacher/librarian members can share their thoughts on books, gaming, collaboration, team meetings, etc. The possibilities are really endless.

Nings are free to setup and allow librarians to promote their library any many ways. The main site to join is located at: [] They are very easy to setup. You simply give the site a name and describe your interests and usage. Then you can either tell people about it or send your potential members an email to have them join.

A few example NINGS: [] An article about NINGS from School Library Journal: []

Lori Gouner

Chat Rooms []

Two teachers, one in the United States and one in Canada, set up a chat room on TinyChat.com for their 5th and 6th grade students to discuss a technology tool - Skype conncetion, that they had participated in. Included are the teacher's reflections of how the chat went, as well as some of the chat lines the students actually wrote. Although this was used in a classroom setting instead of a library setting, I think this lesson could be taught by the librarian, especially the part of the lesson where the students learn about internet safety rules when using social networking sites.

I think the use of chat rooms, by upper elementary students, could really be used in the area of social studies. Groups of students in any parts of the world could communicate with each other, sharing first hand information with each other about their culture, and their home and school lives. It could be used for web pen pals in real time.

Julie Armistead

=**Twitter**= Twitter.com [] I found [|this article]that gives many uses of Twitter in a school library setting. I love the idea of using Twitter feeds to inform patrons about new library materials or programs. As more and more of our students use this type of social network, it may become an effective way to let patrons know about overdue materials or the arrival of an item for which they've been waiting. In an educational setting, Twitter can be used in much the same way as reminder slips and door signs have been used to advertise library events and request action from students. I can imagine a Twitter feed reminder about a book club meeting after school or a weekly update from the librarian about a cool new book to check out. With the ability to send short messages to large groups in a short period of time, this frees up librarians to spend time on other things.

Ann Terry

=Blogs = [] This article discusses the benefits of using blogging in the library and the classroom. The main premise of the article is that blogging is enjoyable for students/children so while they are blogging it also builds literacy skills and it supports learning in other areas.

I like the idea of using blogging for learning. Blogging can be used to connect with students who have read the same book or assignments but are from different classes. They can use blogging as a group discussion. This would give the teacher or librarian an opportunity to reach more students in less time. Also, the article states that each student's blog is unique because it places value on the blogger's opinions.

Debra O'Neal

**Shelfari** [|http://www.shelfari.com] I’ve had a bit of trouble finding articles about the use of Shelfari in schools, but I felt I needed to include it in this wiki because it is an excellent tool for use in libraries as well as classrooms. The two sites I’ve found aren’t extremely detailed, but do offer ways to use Shelfari in schools/libraries. This [|first website] shows one suggestion for students using Shelfari in schools. The [|second website] is a group of librarians on Shelfari who are discussing the way they use Shelfari in their libraries.

Shelfari is a great way to get kids involved in reading. I would recommend this site for students beginning at 3rd grade and going all the way through college. It would probably be more beneficial the older the students are, but I think it would still be functional for younger students. Shelfari is, in essence, a social networking site that revolves around books. The social networking aspect of Shelfari is what can really draw students in and get them excited. First, students can add the books they have read in class (or on their own) to their Shelfari shelf. Then, they can rate the book with a star rating, write reviews, add their favorite quotes, write a quick synopsis, and tag the book. They can even research and add information about their favorite authors. Students can create and update their profiles as well as write notes to their Shelfari friends. They can also join groups and discuss the books they’ve read with other people who have read them. Of course this would have to be closely monitored by teachers and there are probably portions of the site that wouldn’t be appropriate for students to participate in for safety reasons. Also, librarians should probably get parent permission before letting students open their own Shelfari pages. This would be excellent to use with a reading group led by the librarian or in classes.

Jennifer Takala


 * Ning: **


 * //Ning//** is a free social networking service for people who want to create their own social networks around unique interests and their own creative design. **//Ning//** is a great tool and easy to use for teachers and students in the classroom. It offers user-friendly technology for interacting and networking among its members. Members of each “community” can create personal profiles, share photos, blog, and collaborate with each other around their shared interests.

“Flat Classroom Project” is a great example of how social networking tools can be used in the classroom. A teacher uses **//Ning//** to create a space for her students to collaboratively work on projects with other students from around the world. Welcome to the 21st Century! Students do not even have to be in the same classroom to work on projects together. To date, there have been a few projects completed or in the works, but their first project was called “Flat Classroom Project” at [|http://flatclassroomproject.ning.com]. Members in the Flat Classroom Project use **//Ning//** and Web 2.0 tools to foster communication, collaboration and creation.

The students that participated in these projects were in middle and high schools, but I think you could incorporate this in the library setting at any level. It would be great for upper-elementary and intermediate students. The site explains that “One of the main goals of the project is to 'flatten' or lower the classroom walls so that instead of each class working isolated and alone, 2 or more classes are joined virtually to become one large classroom.” I teach at an IB PYP school (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme) and cannot wait to suggest this to the teachers. Teachers could really experiment and use **//Ning//** to engage students in authentic, inquiry projects that are student-driven. Students could be partnered with kids from the other side of town or from the opposite ends of the world to collaboratively create research ideas and work together to produce a final presentation using Web 2.0 technology. Teachers would only assist and facilitate, requiring all students to post communication to their **//Ning//** project site.

Christine T. Nguyen

FLICKR
[] FLICKR is a great tool for educators and librarians because the Metadata tools on the site allow you to tag images and make sets of images that are easy to browse through. Other members can comment on your pictures and share sets with you. Flickr can be set to private or certain sets can be set to private or only shared with members on the users profile as contacts. In this blog a person shows how FLICKR can be used as a library or business tool: [] In this article http://www.collegedegrees.com/blog/2008/06/24/how-to-make-flickr-work-for-your-library-50-resources/ there are some valuable links that show the many ways that FLICKR can be used in the library for instance:

Promoting the library, giving virtual tours, sharing history with pictures of your library (maybe even before/after if you update), events, outreach, creating magazines, custom posters: This library made their own READ posters [] Library of congress photo stream on FLICKR [] You can also embedded slideshows into blogs and webpages using FLICKR. There are many more useful ways to use FLICKR but these are just some ideas to get you started.

Lori Gouner

**BLOGS** To create a blog is free. I used Blogger it requires a Gmail account. I really like blogs for librarians to communicate and exchange ideas with each other. Blogging is a great way to get information out to your patrons. You are having any promotions or author visits. I like the look of the blog and the fact that you can change the layout and colors. Also there are many cool things to embed. I have music and videos on mine. I used image chef to create things related to my school and library. I created a Shelfari list with the 2009 Tayshas books. Students can click on the book cover to see a brief description of the book and see what others are saying about the book. MISD were I work had a staff development class on 23 things and here is my blog that I did in response to that class [] I have also started a blog for my library. It is in the beginning stages, but I hope to have all kinds of information up for the students. [] Sherry Doran