Christopher D. Sessums :: Blog :: Social Media In and Out of School: Notes from the Creating and Connecting Report

eSchool News Online recently reported on a survey that shows 96 percent of teens and tweens between the ages of 9 and 17 with Internet access in the U.S. are using social networking technologies such as chat, text-messaging, blogging, or visiting online communities such as Facebook and MySpace. 

The study, titled Creating & connecting: Research and guidelines on online social and educational networking (pdf), was released by the National School Boards Association and Grunwald Associates LLC on August 14 of this year. The study is comprised of three surveys: an online survey of 1,277 nine- to 17 year old students, an online survey of 1,039 parents and telephone interviews with 250 school district leaders who make policy decisions on Internet usage. The final report did not include a copy of the survey instruments or questions asked of school district representatives. The study was carried out with support from Microsoft, News Corp. (which owns MySpace), and Verizon (hmmm... a little market exploration and needs assessment?)

The report reveals that participants' time on the Internet rivals the television for their time and attention. Here's a break down of some of numbers:

Who's on first?

• 81% students report visiting a social networking site within the past three months.
• 71% report using social networking tools weekly.
  
• 59% report talk about "education" in their online social networks. 
• 50% report talking specifically about schoolwork.

Posting messages

• 21% students post comments on message boards every day.
  
• 41% post comments on message boards once a week.

Sharing music

• 32% students report download music or audio that other users uploaded at least once a week.
  
• 29% upload third-party music or audio themselves once a week.
  
• 12% upload podcasts of their own creation at least weekly.

Sharing videos

• 30% students download and view videos uploaded by others once a week.
  
• 9% upload videos of their own creation at least weekly.
  
• 22% report uploading videos they have created at some point.

Sharing photos

• 24% students post photos or artwork created by others once a week.
  
• 22% post photos or artwork created by themselves once a week.
  
• 49% report uploading photos or artwork at some point.

Site building

• 12% students report updating their website or online profiles every day.
  
• 25% report updating their website or online profiles weekly. 
  

Blogging

• 30% students report having a blog.
  
• 17% report adding content to their blogs at least weekly. 

Creating content

• 16% students report using online tools to create and share compositions and virtual objects (puzzles, games, clothing and houses (?)).
  
• 14% create new characters at least weekly.
  
• 10% start or contribute to online collaborative projects weekly or more frequently.
  
• 10% send suggestions or ideas to Web sites at least once a week.
  
• 9% submit articles to sites, create polls, quizzes or surveys at least weekly.

Against Me! School rules

• 92% school districts require parents and/or students to sign an Internet use policy.
  
• 98% districts surveyed use software to block access to "inappropriate" sites.
  
• 84% districts have rules against online chatting.
  
• 81% districts have rules against instant messaging.
  
• 62% districts have rules against participating on bulletin boards or blogs.
  
• 60% districts have rules against sending and receiving email in school.
  
• 52% districts prohibit use of social networking sites.

For me!

• 49% districts report schools participating in collaborative projects with other schools.
  
• 46% districts report students participating in international pen pal projects.
  
• 35% districts say their schools and/or students run blogs.
  
• 22% districts report classroom use of wikis or sites that allow users to edit/remove content.
  
• 27% districts support online professional development communities for teachers/principals.
  
• 71% districts report active/influential parental involvement in decision making and social networking. 

Required Access

• 96% districts report some teachers assigning homework requiring Internet access.
  
• 35% districts report more than half their teachers assign homework requiring Internet access.
  
• 94% districts of low socioeconomic status report some teachers assigning homework requiring Internet access.
  
• 27% districts of low socioeconomic status report more than half their teachers assign homework requiring Internet access.
  
• 95% districts report that at least some of their teachers use Web pages to communicate assignments, curriculum content, and other information.
  
• 88% districts subscribe to to online educational services or use learning management systems, or both.

Indecent proposals

• 20% students report seeing "inappropriate" pictures on social networking sites in the past three months.
  
• 18% students report seeing inappropriate language on social networking sites (16% parents concur).
  
• 7% students report someone asking for personal information.
  
• 7% students report experiencing some form of cyberbullying.
  
• 4% students report having conversations that made them uncomfortable.
  
• 3% students report unwelcome strangers trying repeatedly to communicate with them online.
  
• 2% (1 in 50) students report a stranger they met online tried to meet them in person.
  
• .08% students report actually having met a person from an online encounter without their parents permission.
  
• 52% districts report students providing personal information online as a "significant problem."

 Value of social networking

• 48% district representatives expect social networking to introduce students to "new and different kinds of students."
  
• 43% districts "hope" social networking will help students "learn to express themselves better creatively" and "develop global relationships."
  
• 29% districts report believing social networking will improve academic abilities.
  
• 36% district reps "hope" social networking will help students learn to work together to solve academic problems.
  
• 76% parents report believing social networking will improve academic abilities.
  
• 75% parents expect social networking to improve their child's ability to resolve conflicts.
  
• 72% parents expect social networking to improve their child's social skills.

Prove it!

• 87% district leaders say "strong educational value and purpose" will be a requirement for them to permit students to access social networking sites.

Staff communication and professional development
"In districts where structured online professional communities exist..."

• 59% report at least half of their staff members participate.
  
• 37% report ninety percent or more participate.

 
Other Findings
Nonconformists
22% report breaking one or more online behavior rules such as using inappropriate language, posting inappropriate pictures, sharing personal information with strangers or pretend to be someone they are not. Nonconformists reportedly communicate regularly with their parents except in person. They possess strong sets of conventional and 21st century skills, yet they are more likely to have lower grades than other students (read: bored!)

Parents and Value(s)
The report suggests that district leaders and parents believe that "social networking could play a positive role in students' lives" (p. 1) and both groups believe that there could be opportunities to use them in education. Parents seem to think there is some form of "gold" in them there Internets which oddly seems to fly in the face of the Internet policies that prevent students from accessing such environs. 

There are still major questions surrounding the value of social networking, skilled use of social networks to support personal and professional development, informal and formal learning, and equitable access. Reading through the report it feels as if educational use of social networking environments boils down to how do these spaces support academic achievement as opposed to supporting social or cooperative practices. How to assess such networks still needs to be fleshed out.

Literacy
There is also a question of media literacy--how is it being taught? Is it being taught? What qualifies someone as being "media literate," etc. Are the blind leading the blind? This also points to a question of how districts are supporting teacher development as well as their own administrative development involving Internet usage and management in schools. Who are administrators listening to? Where are they getting their information?

WWDD--What would Dewey do?
In the end, districts and parents want to see some tangible product arise from the use of social networks in and out of schools. The question of democracy and democratic practices seem curiously absent from all discussions within the report. In light of an educational system built on a No Child Left Behind policy perhaps I should expect nothing less.