I think that Facebook could be extremely effective in the classroom setting. I’m not just saying this because most teenagers probably spend at least an hour on Facebook everyday, but because the tools available on Facebook can make for some great collaborative work. Like we did in class, TEACHERS can create a group specific to a particular class. In this group, teachers can post HW, educational videos, or even invite an expert (who also has FB) to contribute to a topic. I know that in my undergraduate classes we used WebCT and Moodle, which always seemed like a pain to log on. While, at least the teacher knows that with FB… A) Students access this site on a regular basis and B) When students are on FB the group title will be in clear view, therefore hard to ignore. In addition, teachers can send out a mass email to the group. In my opinion, I think that students would be stoked to use FB in a educational setting.
One key factor that an instructor would have to take into consideration with the implementation of FB use for school is the need to make sure that it is being used appropriately with STUDENT usage. If I was going to use FB in my classroom I would first have the class brainstorm some “Facebook Ground Rules.” These could include: no inappropriate language and be respectful of differences of opinion. Nevertheless, the students would come up with these. That way they will be taking ownership for their behavior.
PARENTS need to also be on the same page as the teacher and students. It is understandable that some parents do not want their kids on FB and the teacher needs to respect that. If I were the teacher I would send home a letter of intent to the parents. I would suggest that the parents who are hesitant with FB know their child’s password, so he/she can monitor the usage. However, I think that most if not all parents would be on board. As long as the communication barriers between student, teacher, and parent are open, FB can be a wonderful educational tool.
I totally agree with you that Facebook can be used for education, if used correctly. It is a great way to exchange ideas, videos, hw information, class notes, etc and what's even better is that is it so easy to access once you have an account. As long as all your students have an account, Facebook can be an amazing tool. I like your idea for setting some ground rules with the students before starting use of Facebook within your class this way they know what is expected of them and what is appropriate. They need to use it for what it is intended for not to chat with their friends about what they don't like about class or the school or certain teachers, etc. I also think it is a great idea to send a letter home to parents, its always good to keep them in the loop then they are more likely to be on your side, and we as teachers need that! Some really good insights in here! Thanks Blythe!
ReplyDeleteI too see many potential uses for facebook to be used in a classroom situation for information exchange and because of the fact that so many students are perpetually on facebook already. I also wanted to reinforce what you said about how important it would be to have clear ground rules for facebook usage and clear penalties for those who will(invariably) break the rules.
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