Social Networking and Education

Digital Citizenship Lesson

Objective: Students will come to an understanding of the impact of what they present to an audience and how they present it on the internet.

NETS Profiles including Standards:
Grades 9-10 #3: Select digital tools or resources to use for a real-world task and justify the selection based on their efficiency and effectiveness. (3: Research and Information Fluency; 6: Technology Operations and Concepts)

Grade 9-10 #10: Analyze the capabilities and limitations of current and emerging technology resources and assess their potential to address personal, social, lifelong learning, and career needs. (4: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making; 5: Digital Citizenship; 6: Technology Operations and Concepts)

1. Begin class by opening a discussion on the history and progression of social networking.

2. Following the discussion students will form small groups to view and discuss various forms of social networking and create a reference sheet of social networking sites and what they offer, (i.e. a profile, picture availability, security settings, updates, professional growth, reminders, events, advertisement, instant messaging, internal e-mail, etc.)

3. Using the reference sheet students will create an advertisement showing the benefits of using social networking media in schools. Students will use flip cameras to create a pod cast commercial. Following the commercial students need to be prepared to defend their reasons to the class and a panel of administrators that include: District Head of Technology, Assistant Superintendent, one or more School Board Members, teachers, parents and community members, basically anyone who will agree to attend).

4. Show podcasts to class and participate in panel discussions following each podcast.