I've been pondering social networking and its use in maintaining connections. Much has been made in the press lately on privacy concerns and young adults shutting down pages. I wonder what the impact of social networking will have as seniors graduate and move on to the next phase of life.
I've drawn a line in my own network that I won't friend a current student, but I do have several former students as "friends". This week, one of my seniors talked about staying in touch after graduation. After 25 years in education, I know their plans to come back to visit, stay in touch and continue to be connected to high school and their former teachers dwindles away as time goes on. But with social networking tools, has that dynamic changed? Will it be easier to stay connected?
I enjoy reconnecting with former students via Facebook and finding out where life has taken them into to their 20's and 30's. Weddings, babies and jobs are all shared and I get to see what small influence I may have had in shaping where they ended up. That's a powerful thing for an educator when you often don't know what impact you've had...
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