Web 2.0 Meet Classroom 2.0

Steve Hargadon has created a social networking site dedicated to educators. He is utilizing the Ning network to host and run Classroom 2.0 . If you pay attention to the amount of traffic on the social networking sites and realize that the majority of the traffic is generated by students, Steve is really on to something. Most school districts try there best to keep students away from the social networking sites because the content is impossible to control. Students will continue to find ways to bypass the roadblocks put up by the districts to access the social sites. There is something to the old adage "If you can't beat them, join them".

I'm not sure if there is a way to integrate Myspace and Facebook into the classroom. I'm sure that there are schools that are trying to and I would love to hear about your experiences. I believe that the social environment is something that energizes students and should be utilized if possible. I hope that with Classroom 2.0 teachers will begin to realize the benefits of social networking and that they will look for ways to implement it in there classrooms.