Social Networking: When People Connect Online
by: Michael Kudela
Instructional Designer - IDEAL, BGSU

What is Social Networking?

A Social Network focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software.

Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on.

In general, social networking services, such as Facebook, allow users to create a profile for themselves. Users can upload a picture of themselves and can often be "friends" with other users. In most social networking services, both users must confirm that they are friends before they are linked. Social networks usually have privacy controls that allow the user to choose who can view their profile or contact them, etc.

How is it being used in Education?

We can now move beyond the institution and start to collaborate globally. Social Networks allow your students to connect to the world. Social Networking sites allow students and teachers to connect with other students, teachers, and industry experts from around the world.
You can combine and share online resources with Social Networks. More and more educators are using social networking spaces and combining them with del.icio.us feeds, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and other resources. Students can go find resources, share, and create an online group workspace.
Social Networks provide an informal space that lets learners exercise their own thoughts, reflections, make their own connections and be able to compile a body of evidence that would normally slip through the cracks with the more highly structured approach.

How do I get started?

Check out the following sites and register for an account. Then start to search for topics that interest you. Before long you will have many new contacts to keep you interested in Social Networking.

http://www.facebook.com/
Facebook - Facebook is a social networking website that allows users to communicate with other members, upload photos, and join networks.

https://www.linkedin.com/
Linkedin - is a business oriented social networking site, mainly used for professional networking. You start by creating your professional profile and adding your contacts, creating a group. Then your contacts add their contacts, and everyone in the same group can view all the contacts. It is a great way to network with other professionals online.

http://www.ning.com/
Ning - Ning is an online platform for creating social websites and social networks that can be tailored to a specific audience. Ning is easy to use and offers many different templates for your social network.

http://www.flickr.com/
Flickr - Flickr is an online photo sharing website and an online community platform. Flickr members are allowed to start and join photo groups within Flickr. Members can upload pictures, share their pictures with friends and contacts or even submit their photos into a group pool. My Flickr site is - http://flickr.com/photos/mkudel/

http://elgg.org/
eLGG - eLGG is an open source social platform that is customizable. Described by its founders as a 'learning landscape', eLGG provides each user with their own weblog, file repository (with podcasting capabilities), an online profile and an RSS reader.

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