2. Introduction
Some research has argued that Facebook and other
social media networks have educational potential.
Facebook can promote interaction between students
and teachers – such as making announcements,
discussions and sharing resources..
3. Introduction
There is a growing controversy over the use of Facebook in
education. Some argue for its integration and others disfavor it.
I believe that the main reason behind this controversy is the lack
of solid empirical researches about the overall value of not only
Facebook but all other popular social networking in education.
There are , however, some researchers ( like Crook and Harrison
,Charnigo, Barnett-Ellis, Hewitt and Forte, Mathews, Mazer and
Murphy ) who have written about the potential of social
networking in education, yet only few studies have specifically
addressed its role in pedagogy.
4. Advantages of the use of Facebook
in education
Here are some of the benefits you may harvest from your effective
use of Facebook with your students :
Relaxed, friendly and inviting atmosphere
which encourages students participation and engagement
Students feel comfortable learning through Facebook because
most of them use it everyday
Facebook can promote collaboration and social interchange
between participants
Students get engaged about their learning outside the classroom
5. Facebook tips for teachers :
Teachers should create a separate account just for their classes
Manage your privacy settings to keep your professional and private lives separate.
You need to be diligent about policing what kind of photos are shared on Facebook
You need to give clear instructions to students on the kind of stuff to be shared on
Facebook
You should teach students about netiquette protocol.
Ask for parental permission before getting students on Facebook
When granted permission always keep parents updated about the learning that is
taking place via Facebook
Students should never post threats, racist materials, or libel
Always engage in civil and respectful debates. Do not talk bad about your school.
Do not add students as friends on personal accounts and always maintain your
distance.
6. Facebook tips for teachers :
Use Facebook 's flexible privacy settings to pick and choose who
can see what on a profile page
Teachers can set up a private class group to communicate with
students
If you have a classroom blog you can import it to Facebook for
students to stay updated right from their profiles
Do not post personal comments about ones children, pets,..etc..,
unless they are relevant to the tasks at hand
Do not get involved in a student's private life
No student should ever be forced to add one another as a friend
Remind students to police themselves online. Students do better
when they feel they are responsible for their learning
The last tip is to always stay engaged. Try to remain so even if the
class is a poor fit
7. Ways teachers can use Facebook
Create a group for your class and strengthen the
communication between you and your students. Check this
handout to learn how to create your class group on Facebook.
Schedule events for the entire class .
Use message utility in Facebook to message your students
about unexpected absences, rescheduling of exams...etc.,
Share multimedia content like videos, photos, clips and more
with your entire class .
Post class notes for students to review in case they were
absent
Try to involve students who are normally shy in the classroom
8. Ways teachers can use Facebook
Facilitate classroom connections through letting students know each
other more. This is particularly helpful in large classes.
Use Facebook to send reminders, announcements, upcoming due
dates or any other classroom news.
Sharing online content with students such as interesting websites,
blogs, wikis, and more
Add educational applications to your Facebook group. Scroll down
for a list of such applications.
Encourage students to post content of their own such as videos,
images, news stories and other media that relate back to their
lessons.
Look for other classrooms online that are willing to collaborate on
educational projects, assignments and discussions.
Use the events section to remind students of the upcoming field
trips
9. Facebook Educational Apps
for students :
WeRead : students use it to talk about books they read
and get to know what others read.
Notely : Students can use it to organize assignments,
classes, notes and many more
Study Groups ; They can use it to create study groups and
collaborate with each other
Used Text Groups : This is a group where students can
sell and buy used text books
CiteMe : Students use it to learn how to properly include
citations
10. Facebook Educational Apps
Apps for Teachers :
Calendar : Teachers can use it to keep their classes on track with
upcoming assignments, test, due dates and many more
Courses : They can use it to create instructor page
and manage their courses
Webinaria : This helps teachers record their class lectures and
post them on Facebook for the class to review.
To-do-list ; Easily create a reminder list
Worldcat : easily search for material available at libraries around
the world to help in with your research
Check out this List of Facebook Learning Apps to explore more.
11. Using Facebook to grow professionally also
means that you need to join groups designed
specifically for educators and teachers where
they share links and materials and talk about
educational issues. Here is a list of such groups
that you might be interested in joining .
