Annotated Bibliography

I founded some really interesting aritcles, and finally stopped myself so I could prepare my lessons for this week. I also found it very convenient to use del.icio.us as I came across articles that looked interesting. I'm anxious to try del.icio.us with my students at school, especially in my entrepreneurship class where we do a lot of internet research rather than relying on a textbook. Following is one of the annotated bibliograhies I assembled. (I'm not sure how well the format copied in.)

Willard, N. (2007). Social networking technologies: Here to stay and it’s really okay. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from http://www.galeschools.com/article_archive/2007/10/NancyWillard.htm.

The author examines the reasons for fear of social networking, and makes a case for why social networks should be allowed in schools. She points to two fears: One being that new technology challenges the power of authority to control the dissemination of information because people are able to engage each other and communicate more readily, thus forming their own alliances and opinions rather than all information being handed down from the powers in charge. The second fear she talks about is the one most of us anticipate, which is safety related. She feels that most of the internet safety guidance we hear about is grounded more in fear-mongering than in reality. She has challenged the Attorney General’s office to provide support for statements like, “MySpace is a breeding ground for sexual predators,” but has yet to be provided any. Her point is essentially that students are going to use social networks regardless of education’s position, so wouldn’t it behoove us to teach teen how to do so safely? The author is not denying that social networks could be dangerous if misused, but instead is taking a realistic perspective and proposing that our teens would be better off if we taught them how to use social networks responsibly.