According to statistics, there are over 500 million people currently utilizing the power of Facebook. Additionally, users spend over 700 billion hours a month communicating, writing, sharing, and enjoying Facebook's unique applications. Moreover, over 70% of Facebook's users are outside the United States ( http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics).
But...does it belong in the classroom?
I began a lesson with my own students where they were asked to create a Facebook page for a character from Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet. While I gave the students a generic template from which to begin their page, I found that most students opted to manipulate the template to fit their character's needs and to add the appropriate information to their page that their character would probably include. Adding friends, a quote, a nice picture, and some hot topics on their walls seemed like second nature to my students. And I started thinking, they probably enjoy this Facebook activity because they are part of the statistics I shared above.
Yes, it's true. Teenagers - students - are on Facebook. It is part of their daily lives. It is so much a part of this generation's culture that those who do not use Facebook may seem...lost.
But...does it belong in the classroom?
While I don't have the ability to bring live Facebook pages to my classroom, I can't deny the power that communicating with our own classmates and teachers, and communicating with students and teachers from around the world, could have on learning. If used wisely, the possibilities for learning are endless. If expectations of learning are set high, students will see the power of Facebook as a tool to enhance their learning...not just a tool to catch their friend's latest relationship status.
In the end, bring it on! Facebook doesn't seem to be going away any time soon, so why not enjoy the opportunities it affords us all.
I agree, as a student, that, since Facebook isn't going away too soon, we should incorporate it into our school studies. Like you had done, having students learn about characters through creating a facebook page for them or simply two students working on a project together through facebook.
ReplyDeleteI like this post a lot, it shows how much people depend on social networking, 700 billion hours a week? That's a lot for people to be "catching up" on what their friends are doing. That was a good idea having the student make a Facebook for a fictional character.
ReplyDeleteI like how this incorporates the old(Romeo And Juliet)and the new (facebook)
ReplyDeleteI like the post and i feel like it would be better if facebook was able to to be used in the class room
ReplyDeleteI like this post, alot. i feel that facebook should be used in class for school purposes and some. this post gives you a good reason why facebook should be used in school...
ReplyDeleteI feel that facebook is a great way to get students to interact in the classroom. Using facebook you could do a number of things like what was mentioned in this post. You can use facebook to connect with people from around the world. I think that facebook should and willbe used in the classroom.
ReplyDeletei think facebook is a great thing to have available to use in class, because then students can communicate with each other and help each other out. students aren't going to use facebook just to goof off and talk to their friends, but in reality, their friends probably all wont be on at the same time. also, if students have the opportunity to use facebook in class, i could guarantee they wouldn't screw it up by doing what they shouldn't be doing.
ReplyDeleteI like this post. I feel that facebook should be used in the class room for only school purposes. But, we all have to remember that some people may wander off and chat with the facebook IM. In all, facebook would be a good and fun way to learn.
ReplyDeleteI like the points made in this blog,because people can't deny its in the students life, and being a student myself can allready see the possibilities if it was incorporated into our curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI think that facebook should be in school it could be the gate way to new education and inspiration that some kid need. School is not the were kids like me want to be so maybe if we incorporate facebook and other things that r more entertaining and fun but still educational we might have better attendance and love put towards school. I love this article
ReplyDeleteWhile some students may use Facebook just to chat, I wonder if students would use the chat option to actually chat about work? I'm not so naive to think that some "other" conversations would occur, but doesn't this also happen in a classroom? Perhaps focused, guided chats would be useful.
ReplyDeleteI think having projects on Facebook would be a great idea. Lots of kids are on it, and know how to work it. It wouldn't be to complicated to use and being on Facebook anyways would guarantee the assignment would always get done. I think the only problem with doing this would be the kids that would get distracted and just play around on Facebook. But other than that it would be a great idea!
ReplyDeletei think, if teachers assigned work and projects for their students (like you did) then students would actually do their work more because every student in our school loves to be on facebook no matter what. So i think by making the kids do school work by using facebook, it'll bring them better grades and make them successful in school
ReplyDeleteI agree that if used properly Facebook can be a great educational tool. the project you had your students do sounds very interesting. Although I do agree when you said students may not want to talk about the school work, if someone is really not into the assignment or doesn't care I don't think they will do it whether its on Facebook or paper. I think it just depends on the students, if they will choose to use it properly or not. It sounds like a great idea to try though.
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