Scootle seems to be pretty useful with the growth in interactive whiteboards. To be honest I don't really use it because it doesn't have lessons in my subject area of Religious Education. There is a market there for those who may be inlcined to create some worthwhile and productive RE lessons for all year levels!
I have viewed Scootle lessons in some other subject areas - Maths is always well-catered for as are some other areas. I would love to be able to use it every now and then, but everytime I look at it there is absolutely nothing for me.
Ah, Facebook! I have always been anti-Facebook and never wanted an account until one day last year when it created one for me when I touched one button. It proved my point that we have little control over it. This can also be demonstrated by facebook automatically changing privacy settings so that if you aren't really savvy you may not know that people can now see you. I vowed to get rid of it after a few months and my students thought it hilarious that I had an account as I was always talking of the evils of Facebook. It has proved to be a source of gossip now - I don't really use it, I just see what other people say and my goodness some people are silly. You have to be so careful! What scares me is that young people don't always recognise the repurcussions of some tings they put on line because they don't see them immediately or physically. I will get rid of it soon. Real friends know how to contact me. facebook just removes face to face or verbal dialogue. I have also been witness to the downfall of some friends' lives because of Facebook. Im not a fan but have an account at present. I would NEVER use it in the classroom or with students. Email is just fine as is our own school SOLE.
Twitter infuriates me! Who cares what you are having for dinner or what you are watching on TV. Maybe there are other ways of using it, but I don't want people to follow me (it would be good if you had to be the centre of attention!) and I don't want to read up on others. I do not want to create an account for this as I have no intention of using it. I'm not a celebrity and I am easily bored by inane conversation / comments. I believe in relational interaction with people - meeting with the heart, expressing yourself with tone and using facial expression to convey how I feel.
I think we can too easily cross the line between social networking sites and education. Lets not ruin what kids like by bringing it in to something they do everyday for school. Lets not make education based around the ficle and inappropriately used networking sites. We need young people to be able to read and write well and this is not enocuraged on these sites. It also stops students growing in confidence and ability to talk to others because they are hidden and can get away with more as well as not have to face up to things or truly tell somebody something positive. Where is the heart??! I know people find it here, but I don't! I am an extrovert - take my energy from being with others.
