We've seen many social media platforms and websites used in education: Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube - the list goes on! With this strong use of social media platforms, however, I have yet to see Facebook being used as an instructional tool. Facebook is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms that enables you to connect with and contact people, and post about your life, interests, and opinions. Facebook is a very public website, where almost everyone generally could have access to anybody's profile. From first glance, it does not seem like the type of website that would be appropriate for educational purposes, but I would like to contradict that. In fact, I believe that Facebook could be very useful for education.
Instructors can create a class Facebook page and invite students to "like" the page so that they receive announcements, current events news, and updates on class projects, etc. There can also be a Facebook "group" created with all of this same information, however, the access to the group is only available to those allowed or invited in (i.e, students, parents, other teachers). Through Facebook, students can engage with the instructor or with their peers through posting comments and replies on the page. Facebook also takes note of what you like or your interests, so you could find many educational videos on there that you can use as a resource for students. Facebook Live is a new feature that is immensely useful in the classroom. It is a tool that allows teachers to record videos which students may view through live streaming, or view later. This is a terrific way to record and share videos of difficult lessons so that students can watch and learn after school.
Pros and Cons of using Facebook as a tech tool...
Pros:
Easy and straightforward for anyone to use
Can be used on any device - computer, phone, tablet, etc.
Can be synchronous (Facebook live) or asynchronous
Students can access at any time
Parents can have access to it
The information can be accessible only to those who are in the group or like the page
Teacher can have full control of what the students see in these groups/on the page
Can document class adventures
Can document any information for students to refer to
Teaches students digital citizenship skills
Can post links, documents, images, videos, events
Students can use Facebook to make global connections
Cons:
You must be at least 13 years old to use Facebook. This means that it would not be suitable for younger students, unless they use their parents' account, or if the Facebook resources would be accessible just for parents to keep track of their kids' learning. Facebook would be a good tool for high school students.
There is the possibility that students can post inappropriate images or texts in the group
There is no way to guarantee that students will not be researching inappropriate topics outside of the classroom
Unless students' profiles are private, almost anyone could have access to viewing their profile
With all of the pros and cons considered, would YOU use Facebook as a tool for your classroom?
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-ways-use-facebook-classroom/
Caitlin@Niagara
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