Internet+Safety

1. [|Should Teachers and Students be Facebook Friends?]- eSchool News
 * This article looks into the question of whether or not students and teachers should be friends on Facebook. One teacher that says she has probably 50 current and former students as friends, and says that it is much more effiecent than being calling or sending a letter home when needing to have contact.
 * I think that students and teachers should not be friends on Facebook, at least not at the age below college level. I think that this is inappropriate unless it is a former student that has graduated. I just think that it is very dangerous waters for any teacher to be in, and it is not something that has to be done, so I wouldn't.

2. [|Teachers Embrace Social Media in Class]- USA Today
 * This article talks about the distracting nature of social media websites for college professors and their students. It talks about how they have decided to use the media in class to bring the attention of the students back to the classroom.
 * I think this is a wonderful idea. It kinda goes with the, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". I think it is important for teachers to realize the changes that the classroom needs to make to accommodate 21st century learners, even if that does mean opening to social media sites.

3. [|3 Tips for Teachers Using Social Media in the Classroom]- Mashable Social Media
 * This article gives tips to teachers, specifically college professors, that are beginning to use social media in their classrooms. It takes a stance in the argument that students benefit from the transition because it opens class time from a 3 hour a week event to a 24/7 event. It gives tips such as setting boundaries, taking advantage of groups, and surveying the students about social media.
 * I think it is great that there are tips and tricks out there for teachers that are new to social media in the classroom. I would definitely take these into consideration if being social media to my classroom.

4.[| Schools Use Social Media to Communicate with Students and Parents]- Tulsa World
 * This article is talking about the advantages it would have if the school did bring social media into, not necessarily the classroom, but into the school as a whole. They think it would be a nice way for the parents and the school administration to keep in contact during the school year.
 * I think this is a great idea, because I know that when students are in high school, it is difficult to keep parents in the know when it comes to school news.

5. [|EDUCATOR'S GUIDE- Facebook for Educators]- Facebook for Educators
 * This is a resource that has several different articles for educators to read to learn more about the safety and rules that should be set for someone bringing Facebook into the classroom. It covers topics such as: Digital Citizenship, Privacy, Pages and Groups, and 21st Century learners.
 * I think this is a wonderful resource. To some educators, Facebook might be new to their classroom and to the educator so this is a great way for them to learn about the media while also learning the safe ways to use it in the classroom.

6. [|Social Media Savvy]- Wake Forest University
 * This article points out to parents and students of Wake Forest University the importance of keeping information safe and clean of their social media sites because this may effect their job searching later on in life.
 * I love this article from an education stand point because I do not think that students realize that the pictures and words they post today may bite them tomorrow. I am glad that Wake Forest took the initiative to point that out to their students, and I will definitely do this in my class if I have college students, one day.

7. [|Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom]- Campus Technology
 * This article simply lists the pros and cons that are looked at when trying to decide if social media is or is not appropriate for the classroom. Some of the pros are: enhancing student engagement and improving communication between students and teachers. Some of the cons are: it can be a distraction and the issue of cyberbullying.
 * Ultimately, I think it is the pros that weigh out, but I do believe that the question can be answered according to the age level you teach. If you are a college professor- I say go for it. But it is when the younger students where I think it is inappropriate.

8. [|Speaking Up in Class, Silently, Using Social Media]- NY Times
 * This article is about an english teacher that has decided to use a group messaging system of social media to hold class discussions. She says that it is easier for the students to say what they feel when they type it. She claims, along with other teachers, that students are more involved when they do not necessarily have to "speak up".
 * I think this is a great idea and will definitely use it in my classroom. It is a great way for students to stay focused and while it breaks a barrier of shyness that some students have.

9. [|8 Social Media Strategies for Your Classroom]- Getting Smart
 * This article gives some creative ideas for incorporating social media into the classroom. It goes over many social media outlets: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and gives ideas on how to use them in the classroom setting.
 * It is nice that there are many resources for educators to look at when looking to find creative ways to using social media in class. I do disagree that students and teachers should have contact over the internet, however, so I would not probably do the things this article says for teachers to do.

10. [|In and Out of the Classroom: Using Social Media in Ways That Matter]- Academic Impression
 * This article shows specific case studies that have been conducted that social media actually helps students get better grades when it is incorporated into the classroom setting.
 * This article opens my eyes to the fact that social media really can be helpful in the classroom setting. It makes me think twice about writing it off because of safety issues.