Social+Networking

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=Social Networking & Research= The newest online multimedia happening today across the planet is social networking. In the past five years social networking has "rocketed from a niche activity into a phenomenon that engages tens of million of Internet users" (Lenhart & Madden 2007, p. 3). A recent study involving students and social networking in education suggests that the communication medium's impact and potential for schools and student learning are extraordinarily powerful as a research and learning tool. Greenfield and Yan (2006) further assert that social networking is more exciting and challenging than earlier media due to its complex, virtual, social, and physical world that children and adolescents have the opportunity to participate in and co-construct, as opposed to merely watch. The active engagement opportunities for students today implies new views in teaching and learning.

=Teachers Networking= Below are examples of educators across the planet socially networking to enhance and impact today's diverse learners:
 * [|Ning for Educators]
 * [|Classroom 2.0]
 * [|iTeachiLearn]
 * [|WePapers]
 * [|Courses on Facebook Application]
 * [|Twitter for Newbies]

=Networking Program Links=
 * [|ePals Global Community] : A social learning network designed for K12 students. This social networking opportunity features nearly 13 million K-12 students and teachers, and is built with security features keeping K-12 students in mind
 * [|CollectiveX] : Free social collaboration & networking for groups
 * [|We Papers] : A social knowledge sharing web application that allows university students and instructors to share and manage their papers
 * [|FaceBook]: A social utility connecting people with friends and others who work, study and live around them
 * [|FlashcardFriends] : A free social network for teachers and students to create, share, learn and self-test using online flashcards.
 * [|Flickr] : An online photo management and sharing application
 * [| Imbee]: A free social network for young people. This enables kids to create blogs, upload pictures, and creatively share anything from school projects to the latest movies, songs and issues
 * [|Mosoto]: Creates an easy way to share files, chat with friends, discover people, and explore media in your social network.
 * [|MySpace]: An international site that offers email, a forum, communities, videos and weblog space
 * [|Ning]: An online service to create, customize, and share a social network
 * [|Twitter]: A free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time

=How Big is Social Networking?= =media type="youtube" key="Ab_LmVhA1Ds" height="344" width="425"=

=Resources=
 * [|25 Social Networking Sites to Sign Up for Before Xmas] : 25 of the best social networking sites and services
 * [|Social Networking in Plain English] : A YouTube video to detail the purpose and uses for social networking
 * [|Faculty on Facebook]: A YouTube video on college professors using Facebook to appeal to learners, as well as being safe and smart in the usage of social networking