Curent Issue 2

Title of Article: “96 Percent of Teens Use Social-Networking Tools”
Publisher: eSchool News online
Date of Publication: August 14, 2007
Author: not listed

Summary: This eSchool Newsonline article features the finding of a survey that was conducted on students ages 9-17. The survey found that only 5% of teens that were questioned do not use the internet to communicate with others. The most interesting finding of this study is the fact that students that were surveyed reported that the “most common topics of conversation on the social-networking scene is education.” (p. 1) Implications of this article’s findings can greatly affect the future school learning environment. One expert, Anne L. Bryant, states her opinion on the connection between social networking and school by saying: “The challenge for school boards and educators is that they have to keep pace with how students are using these tools in positive ways and consider how they might incorporate this technology into the school setting.” (p. 1)
Student opinion from the survey is also reported in this article. The goal of students’ online activity is noted to have connections to creative, artistic, and/or collaborative projects. The article states that teens are noting the fact that they now watch television for an amount of time which equals the time they are spending online.
One issue that this article suggests that educators consider is the fact that schools need to use certain technologies to their benefit. It is also stated that such activities would most likely be more engaging for students. Suggestions and facts pertaining to school technology use and incorporation are also brought to the attention of the article’s reader.