Web 2.0. Resources for the Classroom: Social Networking

A social networking site is an online community that enables people to connect with others that they would have been unlikely to otherwise met. The term "social networking" refers to the practice of expanding social contacts by making connections through other people.

Social networking sites provide platforms for two or more users from anywhere across the globe to build social relations with one another. These social relations are often built through mutual friends, shared interests and/or shared activities. Social network sites also enable users to share ideas, activities, resources, events and interests within their individual networks.

Internet users are able to create profiles that contain various bits of information on themselves, post blog entries, post announcements, search for others with similar interests, and compile and share lists of contacts with other people.

The following are some ideas on how social networking sites can be used in the classroom:

* Ask the students to form a social networking group around a class topic. Tell them to use the group to post relevant videos, podcasts, etc. and to comment on why they posted them

* Ask the students to form subgroups within the class network

* Set up reading groups using the discussion forums on the social network

These suggestions and more can be found at the Web 2.0 Survival Guide website

The following is a list of links to some of the popular social networking tools on the internet.