Facebook in education?

           There is a debate amongst parents, teachers, students, and anyone else with an opinion about whether Facebook should be a part of students’ education.  Should it be used in the classroom?  Does it fill a need that can only be fulfilled in this way?  I am going to attempt to see both sides of the argument, starting with the cons first (I like to end on a positive note).  To do so I have enlisted the help of several sources which can be found at the end.

            First, what are the negatives of using Facebook in education?  Well, for starters there is the argument that anything that will be accomplished on Facebook can be done through other mediums.  Some say that it isn’t necessary for our students to do school work on Facebook because it is a SOCIAL network and not meant for academics.  Other sites are devoted to educational things and there should be a separation between the two.

            Bernie Poole mentions the risk of exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material (2011).  Children, especially those in the early primary grades, should not be exposed to questionable content.  Facebook presents the risk of exposing our kids to inappropriate ads, links, people, and comments.  A valid concern. 

Poole also presents the idea that cyberbullying is an issue (2011).  Unfortunately, these days bullying doesn’t end when a child gets off the bus to go home for the day.  Children are exposed to the cruelty of others electronically; however the bully can make contact.  I’m not going to lie, this is a big one for me.  The beauty of being a child, ideally, is that you don’t have to deal with that kind of thing.  Why would parents want to provide another avenue for the bully?

Now on to the pros of using Facebook in education.  The biggest one: it’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s not going anywhere (sorry for the cliché).  Next to Google, Facebook is the most used website (“Alexa Top 500 Global Sites”).  Considered “social media,” Facebook’s main purpose is to communicate information.  Why not educational information?

Second, the use of Facebook utilizes the lifestyle of our “digital native” students.  This is not a fad.  It is a part of life in today’s world.  I can remember being so excited to turn 13 because it meant that I could get my ears pierced.  Today, turning 13 means being inaugurated into the digital world with your very own Facebook page.  It’s like joining a not-so-exclusive club.  For the 2 or 3 adults out there who do not have a Facebook account, you’re just out of the loop (not my opinion, but it’s the reaction of most when you tell them you don’t have one).

Last, Facebook has the power to quickly and efficiently communicate information.  I already talked about the negatives of this, but there are lots of positives too.  Information becomes available as soon as it happens.  You can talk to someone on the other side of the world without ever leaving your desk.  It’s a lot like that dilemma that superheroes face: do they use their powers for good or evil?  You just have to make the choice of using it for good and positive things.

Now that I have mentioned a few (not all) of the pros and cons of using Facebook in education, I’m going to tell you where I stand on all of this.  I like the idea of utilizing social media in the classroom, but it must be done carefully.  As you have read, there are some pretty serious risks that go with children using Facebook for educational purposes.  Not every teacher fits the bill for using it the right way.  This doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.  Let me share a couple of ways that using Facebook in education can be beneficial.

You want Facebook to serve a purpose.  It must be beneficial to the users in a way that no other site can be.  The first thing that comes to mind is something like a “homework hotline.”  It can be a forum for help in anything that students are currently working on.  Not only can you see who’s online, but you can also get instant feedback.  All those parents of students learning calculus just did a little happy dance!  No more nights of frustration followed by late or incomplete homework assignments.  Not only can the teacher set up times that he/she will be on to help whoever needs it, but learning from peers who understand the topic of the day can prove to be invaluable.  Perhaps the teacher can “sweeten the deal” by awarding points to those who are utilizing the page.  It does, after all, help in building a sense of community in the classroom.

My second idea for using Facebook in education includes a more narrow set of objectives.  It can serve as a way to collaborate with students around the world on a given project.  Something as simple as graphing class data (likes/dislikes, birthdays, etc.) becomes much more interesting when you can survey a class in the U.K. and then compare and contrast the results.  Not only that, but also students become more motivated and engaged in what they are doing because all of a sudden it’s relevant.  Sure, this can be done on other sites, but with Facebook being the #2 website, you and your class will be able to reach anyone you want!

You know how I feel about using Facebook for educational purposes, now I want to hear what you think!  Does Facebook have a place in the classroom?  Why or why not?

References

Alexa Top 500 Global Sites. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alexa.com/topsites

Facebook in Education. (2009). Retrieved March 8, 2014, from https://www.facebook.com/education

Kessler, S. (2011, December 5). 5 Best Practices For Educators On Facebook. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/12/05/educators-on-facebook/

Phillips, L., Baird, D., & Fogg, Ph.D., B. J. (n.d.). Facebook for Educators (English). Retrieved March 8, 2014, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/55599781/Facebook-for-Educators-English

Poole, B. (2011, September 12). Education World: Integrating the Internet: Risks and Solutions. Retrieved March 8, 2014, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/poole/poole018.shtml

Site Administrator (2009, October 20). 100 Ways You Should Be Using Facebook in Your Classroom - OnlineCollege.org. Retrieved from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/