Facebook & Privacy

I refused to open a facebook account when my friends had requested me to.  Eventually my husband created a facebook account for me.  I slowly warmed up to it and I'll go on it from time to time.  I always thought of facebook as just a social network.  It was interesting to learn that facebook can also be used in the classroom and for professional uses.

I think facebook could be another tool or option for teachers and students to use in the classroom.  A class or project group can be created so the work doesn't get mixed in with other content.  Facebook is somewhat interactive by allowing students to contribute content, upload pictures, and comment on each others' work.  Students can also work and add on to the group project without having to be in the same room.  Teachers and students can monitor each others' progress and contribution to the project page.  Additionally, most students will be familiar with facebook and would have at least heard of it.  For those who are not familiar with it will probably be excited and interested in working with it.  

One challenge I perceive is the organization of all the information that is put on facebook.  If a lot of students are contributing a lot of content on the page, some information may get lost or overlooked.  Another challenge is that some students may not have access to a computer and therefore cannot access facebook.  This may be the case for home and in the classroom.  Many of the classrooms I visited only had 1-3 computers in the class.  Futhermore, parents may not want or allow their children to have a facebook account, especially younger students.  Yet another challenge may be keeping students focused on the project and not getting distracted by other content on the page.  I find myself easily distracted by looking at friend's photos and postings while on facebook.  I also feel that if students are just sitting behind a computer and working on their part of the project, it takes away from group discussions and coming up with ideas together.

A facebook page can also be created for parents to communicate with each other and the teachers.  A community could be built on facebook.  Parents can also view their children's work if he or she completed and posted their assignment and project on facebook.  Parents can overcome the challenge of asking their child what they did or learned in school today, and getting the "nothing" or "I don't remember" response.  They can go on their class facebook page and see for themselves what they are doing and learning in school.  Parents also don't have to wait for conferences that only occur 2-3 times a year.  They can get regular updates on their child's progress and work.  There can also be a parents page or school community page to promote events and fundraisers.  Facebook can be a great way to keep the neighborhood community updated about what's going on in the school community.

Again, I think facebook could be another tool or option for teachers and students to use in the classroom; and for teachers, students and parents to build a bridge with each other and their community.  It may not be for all grades, classrooms, or neighborhood, but it could be great for some.