Thing 19

Thing 19:  Other Social Networks

     Prior to reviewing the various networking links mentioned in Thing 19, I had thought that the only prevalent social networks were MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.  I had no idea that there were so many social networking organizations/sites.  Until now, I had opted to utilize LinkedIn as my networking site and I am a member of the National Assn of Catering Executives and Middle Tennessee Society of Human Resources groups.

     Originally I had planned to only maintain my LinkedIn account.  In reviewing various social networking sites I will now be expanding my horizons.. especially with regards to Classroom 2.0 as I feel it will be an excellent resource for me as I continue to transition into education.  When looking for social sites, I want am interested in professional development resources that support forums for discussing best practices, and sites that foster open discussions about today's classroom environment.  This is the reason that I have never been interested in maintaining MySpace and/or Facebook accounts, as I am not interested in sharing the personal aspects of my life for everyone on-line.  Nor do I want to be consumed with monitoring the actions of others I am associated with on these sites.

     I realize that I may seem a bit old fashioned or simply too overly cautious, but first impressions are very important to me.  I want to ensure that prospective employers see me for my accomplishments, experiences and interests, not the size or content of my social network.  Perhaps once I have established myself within a school, and witnessed the impact of social sites on other educators, I may alter my perspective as I do feel that maintaining a sense of community is important.