We’ve all seen students flee the schoolhouse at the ringing of the day’s final bell. The priceless looks on their faces display relief, and excitement over their impending freedom. What do students do with their after-school free time? Study? Go to a job? Participate in a co-curricular activity? Sure, it’s likely some of these are part of their routines, but it’s even more likely that students are partaking in another favorite pastime: social networking.
Parents and teachers sometimes worry about what goes on in children’s obsessive electronic worlds, yet a new study suggests they might not need to. Researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted a six-month study on the educational benefits of social networking for students aged 16–18, from 13 high schools in the urban Midwest. The findings revealed that the majority of participants practiced “safe and responsible use of information and technology.” Moreover, the study found that the benefits of social networking included enhanced technology skills, creativity, openness to diverse viewpoints, and communication skills—important attributes for today’s professionals.
One of the researchers involved with the study, Christine Greenhow, believes the Web is a gold mine of educational potential. View Greenhow’s conversation about the findings of the study and its implications for educators.
Jen O’Neill
Education Writer
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