Twitter

Twitter is a free service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?  Users create an account and can upload their picture to the profile, customize the background and invite friends to Twitter.  Twitter is similar to a blog, but much quicker.  Posts can only be 140 characters.  Follow your friends and have your friends follow you - Get Connected! 

Skype

With Skype’s free software, you can chat away with free Skype-to-Skype calls and never worry about cost, time or distance. Share the love and get your friends to download Skype so you can talk, chat or make video calls at no cost.

Yahoo! Messenger

Connect with friends from any web browser.  Chat and video chat for free.

iChat

Mac users only (part of Mac OS)

iChat works with AIM, the largest instant messaging community in the U.S. You and your buddies can be either AIM or .Mac users. Text, audio, and video chat whether your buddies use a Mac or a PC. Sign in with your AIM account, and all your buddies appear in your iChat buddy list.

A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.

Educators must exercise caution when engaging on social network sites.  Remember that even when your site is set on private, your friends’ friends can see your profile.  Please remember that everything educators publish on the Internet should be school appropriate – as you never know who is going to view it.  Caution – many schools may have these sites blocked.

Many of the Web 2.0 tools that I have highlighted can be used in your social networking sites (as well as your blogs and websites)!  You can embed the videos, voki, blabbers and glogs right into your sites.

Create your profile, post messages, photos and videos.  Invite friends to access your account.  Stay connected with friends and family!  Set your profile to public or private.

• Facebook

• MySpace

• Ning - Create your own social network on the "whatever" it is that you wish to discuss
  

• LiveJournal - You can use LiveJournal in many ways: a private journal, a blog, a discussion forum or a social network.