I'm a computer teacher and I have an 8th grade literature teacher who really wants to create a Facebook classroom page. I suggested creating a wiki page, Ning or Edmodo but she really wants to use Facebook for her class. She wants to posts excerpts from different stories and have the students respond to them. I have never used Facebook in this content so I'm looking for advice and/or examples on how to do this.

Thanks,

-Mandie

Tags: Facebook, classroom, discussion

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I am also working with a teacher who wants to use Facebook with her high school biology students. I am excited to hear any advice in this area.
I would have a hard time doing that with my 8th graders since some of the parents are very adamant about their children not being on any social networks. It's much easier to sell Ning or especially Edmodo to parents since they are more geared toward education - especially Edmodo.

If she does use Facebook, I would recommend using a private group or the discussion feature on a page (depending on what privacy levels she needs to set).
Of course you should set up a private group on facebook. You can use also an application platform to deliver courses on facebook such as "Teach the people" and much more. But I think it is not practical to use it for educational purposes. Facebook gives the priority to members who might join groups but other social networks such as ning gives priopirty to groups. This is where ning lends itself to teaching and learning better than facebook.
agreed, advise her to stick to the educational social networking platforms rather than fb for this.
I am going to disagree somewhat here. Why, as educators, are we fighting the Facebook tool so much? Because we perceive it to be kiddy? Dangerous? Instead, let's demystify it with the parents. It is a tool, like a hammer. Whether that hammer is used to build a home for the homeless or to hurt someone is up to the educator and the parents, and with the individual.

I am using Facebook for my student groups in high school. Turns out that 100% of the 40 students in my groups had Facebook. WOW! Can you think of anything else, besides maybe a cell phone, with that sort of usage?

The key is to make sure ALL of the security and safety measures that can be utilized are in place.

If you use a private group, the teacher needs not be friends with any of the students, which is one concern of parents. Make one of you students the administer, and have them invite people, including you. Then remind them that every interaction is recorded and public, and go over appropriate behavior. Involve the parents. Ask them to join as well. The more eyes, the better.

All that being said, and also being a great fan of Facebook, I will say for certain that it is not really education-friendly. It is communication friendly. Online quizzes and forums are much better done on Google Apps, Moodle, or Ning.

The bottom line is that Facebook is currently the 2nd most effective way to communicate with students (behind texting). There is know reason an educator can't use it as a message board or connection point. However, more powerful educational tools have been created that offer many of the same features, much better.

www.teachingwithgoogledocs.com
I am going to disagree somewhat here. Why, as educators, are we fighting the Facebook tool so much? Because we perceive it to be kiddy? Dangerous? Instead, let's demystify it with the parents. It is a tool, like a hammer. Whether that hammer is used to build a home for the homeless or to hurt someone is up to the educator and the parents, and with the individual.

I am using Facebook for my student groups in high school. Turns out that 100% of the 40 students in my groups had Facebook. WOW! Can you think of anything else, besides maybe a cell phone, with that sort of usage?

The key is to make sure ALL of the security and safety measures that can be utilized are in place.

If you use a private group, the teacher needs not be friends with any of the students, which is one concern of parents. Make one of you students the administer, and have them invite people, including you. Then remind them that every interaction is recorded and public, and go over appropriate behavior. Involve the parents. Ask them to join as well. The more eyes, the better.

All that being said, and also being a great fan of Facebook, I will say for certain that it is not really education-friendly. It is communication friendly. Online quizzes and forums are much better done on Google Apps, Moodle, or Ning.

The bottom line is that Facebook is currently the 2nd most effective way to communicate with students (behind texting). There is know reason an educator can't use it as a message board or connection point. However, more powerful educational tools have been created that offer many of the same features, much better.

www.teachingwithgoogledocs.blogspot.com
This is a great classroom activity and I would encourage educators to to keep that in mind. While facebook offers plenty of "options" it is still viewed as a social network. Why not as educators explore the networks designed for educational use. This not only eliminates any questionable areas it allows students to discover networking from educational view point. Just about every student knows or belongs to facebook, but they don't all know that there are educational networks available for implementation into classroom use. This might encourage some students, if they discover the internet isn't primarily designed for "socializing." I also agree with a previous comment that it will not arouse questions from parents who have their own views about facebook. Keep it educational in the classroom and allow the students facebook for their own personal lives. Also, some might argue that facebook is the best way to communicate with students because they check it so frequently, but when do we stop making students responsible for things they need to be accountable for? If students need to check certain places to keep updated on assignments or such then they need to check those places, we as educators need to prepare them for the real world and not make tasks "convenient" for them. Their bosses/managers surely won't!
try www.grpbook.com - you can post class page / notes through this website.
You need not be "friends" with your students on Facebook. Really cool site for teachers.
I find myself in a similar situation. I have read the discussion below but I would like to add this twist and ask if it would much of difference in your replies. She would like to use it to communicate just with her parents. Students would add entries during the school day. Parents would be able to see the post, leave comments??? She is concerned that once they leave school they would go to the facebook and click on a parent link that might be innappropriate. Is there a way to prevent that?
Hello, Came on this discussion Late.. Already do the NING thing and I get how FB isn't good for classroom discussions. Instead, here I'm asking you all the following: Would like to do a facebook page, like businesses do, just to announce School happenings to parents. This is different right? Students do not have to be friends, settings would be locked dow such that little or no comments would be allowed. thoughts?
My school district Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington has it's own Facebook Page. Comments are allowed, although I would imagine someone has a near full time job monitoring the site.
Another is Edmodo that, I believe, is created by a teacher. It is a a facebook look alike with teacher control and monitoring. To hear an interview with the creator, Jeff O'Hara, go to: http://live.classroom20.com/1/category/edmodo/1.html

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