Sorry, I couldn't quite bring myself up to joing Twitter, but I do see the value in Facebook. Funny story - I was dragged into joining Facebook four years age with the birth of my fist child. As you can imagine, the grandparents were always asking for pictures. When I noticed my wife excited about this new social networking site called Facebook and posting pictures of the kids on it, I thought my grandchild picture distribution headaches were over. I just told everyone they had to join Facebook and "friend" my wife to see as many of the pictures of the kids they wanted. The next thing I knew, all of the grandparents were so excited about Facebook, they started sending friend requests to everyone they knew - including me. So, with the circle complete, that is how I ended up on Facebook. Since that begrudging day, I have come to see the value that it brings (if you can stay disciplined - like with many things on the web, time can easily fly by!) I have since been reconnected with long lost friends and Army buddies, which would have never happened if I hadn't joined.
No matter your level of involvement in social networking sites, I think it is important that you understand them and their use because your students will certainly be using them. How are you supposed to connect with your students to build a relationship with them if you don't understand what they like? Young people love to talk and share (sometimes too much), and whether it is Facebook or the net cool thing, they are going to want to be a part of it. As a caring teacher, you need to at least know about these things.
I think Facebook can be valueable in an educational atmosphere, as well. Even if they won't admit it, most students want to feel like they belong. That is why schools offer so many extra-curricular activities. Why not extend this concept into the social networking world. Schools are already setting up Facebook Groups, so common interest groups like Chess Club or Dance can easily be done.
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