Because instructors know their students already
spend time online, instructors should find ways to make the internet a
part of their classroom. I personally would not want to use
Facebook with my classes because I have a Facebook account of my own to
stay in touch with friends, and I don’t want my current students
looking at pictures of me. However, there are many ways that
educators can use the current Facebook obsession as a positive tool in
their classrooms. Students clearly love sharing information about
themselves on Facebook, so getting them to share ideas on blogs (online
journals) is not that much of a stretch. A teacher in Illinois
uses online blogs to help students share ideas, and as a middle school
teacher she chooses to give her students pen names to ensure privacy
and reduce the danger of online predators (Mullen & Wedwick, 2008,
p. 69). Additionally, Ning is another social networking site
where users can create groups for people to join. It provides a
setting where someone must be invited to the group to be able to access
it, so this ensures a lot more privacy and safety than Facebook.
Similarly to Facebook, members get their own pages to decorate, and
members can also update their statuses and write on walls.
Another great feature of Ning is the Forum, where members can post and
respond to different discussion questions. I used Ning this year
and I liked it because my students engaged in a rich and colorful
discussion that might not have happened in the classroom. I think
many students were “braver” to share their ideas online because they
are so comfortable with electronic communication on Facebook.
Students practiced reading, writing and communication skills all on the
internet.
Using these new types of technology does not mean a teacher should just
let students play with Ning and blogs randomly while he relaxes at his
desk. As Elstad expresses, technology should not be a substitute
for the structure and guidance good teachers give their students and
should not cause teachers to be “laissez-faire” in their teaching
(Elstad, 2006, p. 465). When we use Nings and blogs in
classrooms, we need to assign specific work and give specific goals to
students to make education our focus. We can use technology to
teach real-life ways to use the concepts and skills of our content
area. Facebook profiles may have a negative impact on students’
professional life now and into the future. Pelucheete and Karl
cite Lupsa as finding that 40 percent of employers “would consider
applicants’ Facebook profiles as a part of their hiring decision”
(Pelucheete & Karl, 2009, p. 31). Perhaps English teachers
can use cites like Ning, where students can create their own page, to
teach students how to create professional profiles that would stand up
to the scrutiny of a potential employer. Classes could have
discussions about how much of life is really necessary to share with
the entire world. With a little effort, we can certainly help
students see how the internet can be a safe part of their educational
lives as well as their personal lives. Instead of lamenting our
teens’ tendency to be on Facebook all the time, we can use their
interests to build new learning experiences for them.
References
Blackstock, Terri. (2010). Predator. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.
Elstad, E. (2006). Understanding the nature of accountability failure
in a technology‐filled, laissez‐faire classroom: disaffected students
and teachers who give in. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38(4),
459-481. doi:10.1080/00220270500508901.
Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss:
Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and
Blogs. Clearing House, 82(2), 66-69. Retrieved from Academic Search
Complete database.
Pelucheete, J., & Karl, K. (2009). Examining Students’ Intended
Image on Facebook: “What Were They Thinking!”. Journal of Education for
Business, 85(1), 30-37. Doi:10.1080/08832320903217606.
Tarbox, Katherine. (2004). A Girl’s Life Online. New York: Plume.