Thing 19 SOCIALS AGAINST THE GREASERS

I signed up to be a member of Teacher Pop on Ning. Currently I am still pending membership approval. This is not upsetting to me. I believe that a social network like TeacherPop should ensure that potential members will enhance the social network. It is a professional social network for teachers, so members should be closely associated with the education fields. Once I become a member, I will attach my Teacher Pop badge to my blog. Look for it.
Another excellent professional social network for teachers is PBS Teachers. I have been a member of PBS Teachers since September 2008. It is an awesome social and resource network. I currently posted a comment for "teacher in training" on PBS Teachers concerning located interesting content for elementary school students. One of my RSS feeds is a discussion posted on PBS Teachers. So, it seems I've been using Web 2.0 (Classroom 2.0) tools all along and didn't know it.
Social networks can be tricky. One thing that Professional networks (such as those listed above) can provide is a web identity that future employers can look at. For example, suppose I put in a resume to become a teacher at a local high school. The school district human resource manager wants to make sure that I am teacher material. Of course, my degree is one source. But my professional appearance on the internet gives me clout. Anyone can be "googled" now-a-days. I want my google profile to reflect positively and professionally to potential employers.