Academic social networking

I'm what technology experts call an "early adopter." I began writing with computers in newsrooms while finishing up my undergraduate degree in 1978. (Yeah, I've been writing with a keyboard since before you were born!).

When I crossed over into public relations in the mid-1980s, the firm I worked for one computer...in the IT guy's office. I was asked to write on a typewriter and edit "copy" with a red pencil and cellophane tape (literally, cutting apart pages and taping them together to revise). The IT guy tried to get me fired when I went around him -- after he said writers didn't need computers -- and contacted a local vendor to get a bid on technology for my department.

So I was surprised when, 15 years later at a workshop on technology at the first college where I taught, most of the discussion centered around how to keep students from screwing around on computers during class. One instructor even asked that a technology "kill switch" be installed in the main lecture hall where he taught. He wanted the ability to cut power to all the computers in the classroom, so that he could keep students from being distracted from his lecture.

As you may have noticed, I've been dealing with technology distractions in our classroom lately myself. You've heard me announce, "Eyes up here!" and "Hands in the air and off the keyboards!" as I try to draw your attention to the center of the room for discussion. I'm looking for middle ground -- somewhere between shutting off the technology in the room and talking to myself while you all update your Facebook profiles.

I also believe that college should reflect the world in which we live and work. That world is influenced heavily by social technology. It's a powerful way to create and sustain community. Part of my job is to help you become effective communicators and collaborators, interacting and engaging with those communities. Increasingly, that means harnassing the power of social-networking technology. It's a power you are already using, judging by how many of you have Facebook pages. So for the next project, we're going to combine your fascination with Facebook and your skills at analyzing rhetorical situations and audience needs, doing primary and secondary research, and developing compelling compositions.

Facebook began as a personal social network, but it's moved far beyond that. Most businesses, organizations, artists, entertainers, and politicians have Facebook pages. It's an important marketing strategy with how-to books and consultants. Unfortunately, many academics still see social networking sites as just places where people post embarrassing photos and inconsequential comments. Carrying on my reputation as an early adopter, we're going to experiment with Facebook as a teaching and learning tool.

In your blogs this week, I'd like to hear what you think of the idea of using Facebook for academic purposes. Is it a strategy that will catch on? Should it be done, or should Facebook stay mostly a personal social networking site? Will people your age abandon FB if too many non-personal pages erupt? Do you think it has a future in the work world? Recommend some FB pages for organizations that you belong to. What are some creative and/or fun FB wigets that might work for academic pages?