My Fake Wall

Title: My Fake Wall http://myfakewall.com/

Myfakewall.com is a website that allows users to create fake Facebook like profile pages for fun and entertainment purposes. I think this could be used as an instructional tool because of the popularity of Facebook and it gives students a chance to be creative.


Main Features:

The Myfakewall.com webpage is modeled after the popular social networking site Facebook. Users can create fake profile pages for anyone or anything they choose. The Myfakewall.com site allows users to upload pictures and create dialogue. The profile page also includes a space for biographical information, a friends list, and a photo book. The final product is very similar to that of an actual Facebook page.

New users will need to create an acount. The accounts are free but an email address is required. The only draw back of the webpage design is that it only allows for single user editing. Only the creator of a fake wall page can change or edit his/her profile. The website is not designed to be collaborative like a social networking site. The website generally works well but is sometimes a bit slow.

Level of Difficulty:

The website is pretty user friendly. Users who have basic or intermediate computer skills should be able to navigate the site and create a fake page fairly easily. The Myfakewall.com graphic interface is set up like a template so users do not need any advance html skill. Everything is pretty well labeled and formatted. Facebook users should find it very easy to create a profile page. Non-Facebook users should be able to point and click their way through the profile making process fairly easy. I would say that new users could create a fake wall in less then 30 minutes depending on level of creativity.

Potential Applications:

I think this could be a great instructional tool especially for Social Studies teachers. I could see a fake wall being made and used by a teacher in a lesson to provide information about a person, group, or event. I think it would be an excellent tool for an assignment where the student has to research an individual, group, or event.

I have used this as part of a research project where by my students created a fake wall for Pericles of Ancient Greece. The students had to use the profile page to show biographical information that would indicate information about Pericles such as he; lived in Athens, was the leader of the Athenian democracy, and built the Parthenon. I could see how this tool could also be used in English classes for creating a profile for a character from a book. It could also be used to teach grammar and etiquette or netiquette.

link to the myfakewall post above http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Pericles_31

Conclusion:

I do believe this tool is worth learning. It is fairly easy to use and most students will be able to create profiles in no time at all. I think it is a great tool for getting students engaged and it allows for them to be creative. I think it is important for educators to consider the culture of the students they are teaching. Students today live in a very technological based world. Social networking is very important and I think this tool could be very useful for combining curriculum with student interests.