Hi Matt,

Can you tell the list a bit more about Ning? Is it open source? Have you
given it a try before, if so what are your thoughts and recommendations
to the group?

Best,

Mariann

 

 

Mariann Fedele

Director,

NYC Regional Adult Education Network

Literacy Assistance Center

Moderator,
NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
32 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
212-803-3325
mariannf at lacnyc.org
www.lacnyc.org

________________________________

From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Matt Gambrill
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 12:40 PM
To: 'The Technology and Literacy Discussion List'
Subject: [Technology 1517] Re: Social Networking
PartIII:GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

 

 

Google makes money by identfying users' tracks so they can target
advertising to them.  Most of what you do on google is used for that
purpose, even my gmail sells me stuff with its banner scrolling
headlines.  It is creepy to think about, but that is probably paranoia
(don't watch the Matrix and Terminator back to back so often).  Unless
you really enjoy reading User Agreements, you will probably not notice
that much of your information is used for purposes you would not have
anticipated.  That is the realm of cyberspace and product development.
Sometimes, this may be how the tech company makes its money and helps
gather feedback on how their product is functioning.  You also have to
consider these things are services, often provided to the user for free
and the creators want to make money somehow (we don't work for free, at
least many of us).  

 

Maybe you can avoid some of this stuff by taking more control over your
systems.  Instead of using facebook, try using Ning thats lets you
create your own social network and have more control aover who and what,
etc.  I'm not sure about the details, but I think this might help clear
some things up.

 

matt

Northeast ABLE Resource Center

www.neable.org 

 

 -----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Emily May
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:50 AM
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 1514] Re: Social Networking Part
III:GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

	Good find on the article.

	 

	I know a few people who have ended their MySpace accounts.
Essentially what happens is that you just "disappear," meaning that you
disappear from your friends "friends" lists, all your announcements and
comments disappear, etc.

	 

	The article says:

	"Other social networking sites like MySpace
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/myspace_com/index
.html?inline=nyt-org>  and Friendster, as well as online dating sites
like eHarmony.com, may require departing users to confirm their wishes
several times - but in the end they offer a delete option."

	 

	On a personal note, I find my relationship with google (I use
gmail, blogger, google documents, google spreadsheets, picasa, and the
list goes on...) to be far more creepy than my relationship with
MySpace.  

	 

	Has anyone heard anything else on this front?

	 

	 

	 

	______________________________

	Emily May

	Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

	783 4th Avenue

	Brooklyn, NY 11232

	718-369-0303

	emay at obtjobs.org

	www.obtjobs.org

	 

	<mailto:emay at obtjobs.org> 

	  

	
________________________________


	From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Leslie Petty
	Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:32 AM
	To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
	Subject: [Technology 1513] Re: Social Networking Part III:
GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

	 

	The discussion thus far has suggested some very innovative uses
for MySpace in adult education.  I have very little experience in social
networking sites, however, and wonder about privacy and safety in using
these sites.  I think the points already made about keeping personal and
professional personae separate and about how information is available to
anyone is important.  This article in this morning's New York Times
about the challenges faced by those who want to remove themselves from
Facebook
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?ex=1218344
400&en=3509c270367a4099&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-020
8-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click&mkt=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-0208-HDR)
	made me wonder if MySpace has similar problems and if so, if
those might be problematic for teachers and students?  Does anyone have
any knowledge or thoughts about this?
	
	Leslie Petty

	On Feb 12, 2008 10:02 AM, Emily May <emay at obtjobs.org> wrote:

	On getting students and staff to stay within the protocols:

	 

	Out of the starting gate we had a few issues with staff wanting
to confront students about things listed on their MySpace pages.  This
issue is particularly poignant for our agency.  We help these young
folks get jobs, and our job developers don't want to ruin their contacts
by sending over someone who isn't ready for the workplace.  Oftentimes
MySpace pages can uncover drug or alcohol abuse and/or gang involvement.
As a staff we decided that it was hard to tell how real these claims are
on a MySpace page because MySpace serves as an "alternate reality" for
many youth.  We also decided that our experience with them in our
program was a much better judge of their character than what we read
on-line.

	 

	On the student side of things, one of the reasons we knew that
MySpace was so hot among our trainees was that they were always sneaking
a peak during class!  That issue continues, but now we have a way to
fight back.  Our secretary monitors our MySpace page from the front
office. When a student is on MySpace, a little icon shows up on our
friends list.  If that student is supposed to be in class, our secretary
will contact the teacher and let them know that the student is on
MySpace. Sneaky, I know, but practical!

	 

	Emily

	 

	______________________________

	Emily May

	Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

	783 4th Avenue

	Brooklyn, NY 11232

	718-369-0303

	emay at obtjobs.org

	www.obtjobs.org

	 

	<mailto:emay at obtjobs.org> 

	  

	
________________________________


	From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Mariann Fedele
	Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 4:08 PM

	
	To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

	Subject: [Technology 1501] Re: Social Networking Part III:
Getting StudentsandStaff on Board

	 

	Hi Emily,

	This is a great set of protocols. Have you had any difficulties
in having staff and students meet and stay within the protocols?

	Do list subscribers have any concerns related to Myspace or
other such sites that Emily can respond to?

	Regards,

	Mariann

	 

	Mariann Fedele

	Director,

	NYC Regional Adult Education Network

	Literacy Assistance Center

	Moderator,
	NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
	32 Broadway 10th Floor
	New York, New York 10004
	212-803-3325
	mariannf at lacnyc.org
	www.lacnyc.org

	
________________________________


	From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Emily May
	Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:54 PM
	To: technology at nifl.gov
	Subject: [Technology 1498] Social Networking Part III: Getting
Students andStaff on Board

	 

	Getting Students and Staff on Board.  We launched the plan
mid-cycle and did a short survey examining how many of our youth had
MySpace pages. 88% admitted that they did, but a number of them were
hesitant to turn over their MySpace page information to us because of
the content on the page.  If you go to our MySpace page you will notice
by looking at the comments that not all the profile pictures are
"appropriate." Among staff we had to agree to overlook this in order to
meet the goals of the project. To balance this, we talk extensively in
our classes about how employers are increasingly looking at MySpace
pages prior to hiring.  

	Staff gathered together and developed a list of protocols for
how we were going to implement MySpace internally.  These protocols
addressed a number of challenges that we saw from the starting gate,
including: student privacy, professionalism, and defining appropriate
communication.  Here is what we decided:

	1.	Staff will not use what is on trainee's MySpace pages
against them.  For example, if a student references drug or alcohol
abuse on their page, staff will not bring it up with the students.
Remember, MySpace is an "alternate reality" for many kids, and much of
what is said online may not be true. We need to make MySpace a safe
space for our trainees so that we can use this resource effectively to
our advantage. 

	 

	2.	For trainees who are uncomfortable with the idea of
giving staff access to their MySpace page, encourage them to set up a
separate "professional" MySpace page. 

	 

	3.	Despite OBT's involvement with MySpace, trainees will
still not be allowed to access their MySpace page during class time
unless a staff member specifically directs them to the page as part of
an activity. Trainees who wish to look at their MySpace page will be
able to use OBT's computers at the end of the day. 

	 

	4.	Staff will be encouraged but not required to create a
MySpace to use with trainees. Staff wishing to be "friends" with OBT's
MySpace page must set up an OBT-specific MySpace page. You should not
use your personal MySpace page under any circumstances; even if your
page is professional, your friends' pages might not be. When creating
your OBT MySpace page, you must use your work email address and your
headline should be "Job Title" at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow.
The only allowable friends are: trainees, alumni, or staff. All other
friend requests should be denied. 

	 

	4.	Staff may use their OBT-specific MySpace page or the
"OBT" MySpace page to contact students.  All communications must be
professional. 

	 

	5.	All trainees will be encouraged to switch their MySpace
page to a "friends-only" view (versus public).  This will help protect
them in the event that an employer looks them up on MySpace. 

	 

	6.	All friend requests to the OBT MySpace page are vetted
to ensure that there is a genuine relationship with OBT.  This is done
by sending a message to friend prospects to confirm why they are
interested in OBT. 

	 

	To get staff not involved in the development process on board,
we developed and presented a PowerPoint presentation at our all-staff
meeting.  We explained that traditionally, OBT had two methods to get in
touch with our students: the phone and letters.  Now, we were expanding
to include email, MySpace and Instant Messenger.  We didn't mandate that
all staff use all the techniques.  Rather, our goal was to educate
staff, get some key staff on board, and then publicize among staff the
success stories.  We also designated three "MySpace Experts" to help get
staff uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the technologies set up and
adjusted.  Slowly, more and more staff have gotten on board -
particularly among our job developers and retention staff - as they
realize that these technologies make their lives much easier.  Staff
report using these technologies to inform our students about upcoming
interviews or contact them to see how they are doing on the job in
addition to our more "macro" goals listed above.

	 

	Outside of issues of privacy (addressed in the staff protocols)
our students were already essentially "bought-in" to the idea of
MySpace.  We had students create and design OBT's MySpace page so that
we could more effectively "meet students where they are at." This helped
to improve student engagement and interest in the project.

	 

	Tomorrow, I will discuss how we used LinkedIn to meet a
different set of goals. I will also examine other social networking
sites out there that may be "hot" among the students you serve.

	 

	 

	______________________________

	Emily May

	Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

	783 4th Avenue

	Brooklyn, NY 11232

	718-369-0303

	emay at obtjobs.org

	www.obtjobs.org

	 

	<mailto:emay at obtjobs.org> 

	  

	 

	
	----------------------------------------------------
	National Institute for Literacy
	Technology and Literacy mailing list
	Technology at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology
	Email delivered to lpetty at twmi.rr.com

	
	
	
	-- 
	Leslie Petty
	Associate Director
	Project IDEAL Support Center
	University of Michigan
	734-425-0748 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/technology/attachments/20080212/51bde779/attachment.html