My name is Melissa and I am a junior at Fayetteville High School. My teacher introduced me to your site and after reading this most recent blog I must say I am intimidated but more than that, inspired. You are younger than me and obviously more knowledgable on this topic. We are trying to do some of this same thing at our school, but due to funding, location, ect. things are moving at a slow, but steady pace. I would love to increase my knowledge and ability to get it across to people the way you do. Please email me, I have many questions about what you are doing and ways that I could implement it on my own as well. Thank you so much.

Melissa C.

Actually, whenever somebody brings up social networking I find it to be a very interesting conversation; since it is one of the few issues the edublogosphere doesn’t agree upon.

Some are far to the “left” that teachers should be engaging in constant conversations on and about social networks. (I’m here) Meanwhile, there are counterparts to the far “right” who believe that social networks have no place in education and should be blocked.

From my experience, most people fall somewhere in between the two. However, the more evidence we put on the left the more it tips in that direction.

Thanks for sharing this! I’m glad to hear it can be of some use to you. Good luck getting them to listen.

Giovanni: I think you’re getting at the root of the matter. Just as in the real world, we can build and engage in healthy and unhealthy social networks/villages. The problem is that the unhealthy networks and their consequences are constantly talked about in the media and digital “safety” programs.

The more we share stories of our healthy networks, the better.

In the real world, do you tell students to not speak to anybody? Of course not. Do some people end up forming unhealthy social networks in the real world? Yes, but that doesn’t make us outlaw the entire medium of talking...

Rather than banning the medium, schools should be educating on how to build healthy social networks.

I finally had time to really read some of your posts, and I am very taken with this one in particular. Some of the educator community are fully in your corner with regard to social networking -usually those whom have experienced its power first hand, but many teachers even if they are “tech-minded” can see absolutely no use for it. What’s worse is that most administrators view it as inherently evil and to be avoided at all costs. As of right now for example, I am not allowed to open any email during class time.

Bottom line here, all of the naysayers need to be given concrete examples of the positive forces of good social networking skills. I would for one will share your site and this piece in particular when I present to my school board next month. They just might listen....

I highly recommend you read this article about a child from the UK chatting with those in South America - already forming global villages at the age of 9. ]]> http://students2oh.org/2007/12/11/global-village/#comment-211 Nicholas Chlumecky Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:58:56 +0000 http://students2oh.org/2007/12/11/global-village/#comment-211 Arthus is very right. And not only is this global village already established, it is growing. Already, there are orders for the "One Laptop per Child" in Africa. Imagine, our global village being joined by these thousands of children and adults from Africa, influencing our ideas and supplying us even more. This "global village" is almost the same as America in the early 1900's. There are many people there, and so many more coming to join us. I believe it's one of the greatest things to ever happen to the human race. Arthus is very right. And not only is this global village already established, it is growing. Already, there are orders for the “One Laptop per Child” in Africa. Imagine, our global village being joined by these thousands of children and adults from Africa, influencing our ideas and supplying us even more. This “global village” is almost the same as America in the early 1900’s. There are many people there, and so many more coming to join us. I believe it’s one of the greatest things to ever happen to the human race. ]]>