Social networking, A Tool for Modern Literacy

This piece is my reflection on Social networking as a Tool for Modern Literacy.

The Internet has brought about online communities established through e-mails, instant messaging services etc that seem to be growing faster than. Majority of our students today join these communities to share interests and activities. Social networking has created powerful new ways to communicate and share information and despite all the challenges that come with social networking, it can be turned into effective TOOLS for teaching and learning.
Research has shown that “While social networking sites can increase a person's circle of friends, they also can increase exposure to people with less than friendly
intentions.” (http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/social-networking-sites.aspx). However, I personally think that like every tool, social networking has its positive and negative sides, strengths and weaknesses and this should not lead to a decision to abandon that tool altogether. Rather, one must maximize the positive side of it and try to control the negative influences.
I agree with Kajder (2005) that creating communities for writers help students
to become literate in their own voices and to see writing as a tool for thinking. It is only when students can identity their own voice in writing and that they can construct identity through literacy.

It is, therefore, important for instructors to provide children and the people with learning challenges effective access to technology that can help them become members of social networks that can be used to promote literacy development.

As Baugh (2000) points out, this idea of introducing learners to technology must begin with children learners. We need to empower them at the early stages of literacy to see technology not as an end in itself but as a TOOL, and therefore a means to an end. “Integrating keyboarding instruction with content learning promotes viewing the computer as a productivity tool rather than another subject “(Baugh ,2000).

As Stewart et all. ( 2007) rightly point out, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles supported by technology can provide the flexibility necessary for helping all students overcome the challenges that come with modern technology use in teaching and learning.