While desperately trying to finish the last of my assignments for the year, I found myself distracted and I’ll admit it, procrastinating. It’s something I religiously implore my students to avoid when they are drafting their assessment items, but I kept finding that my fingers would run over the mousepad and magically, my Facebook newsfeed would appear. Two hours later, my assignment was no closer to being completed and my eyes were beginning to resemble those of a zombie! Now, I am an educated woman, a teacher and a mother who is proficient in the art of multitasking and considered to be highly focused and organised (in my opinion anyway). Contrary to this, I am still able to be lured by the ramblings, humorous memes and witty one liners of my ‘friends’ on Facebook. As a result of this distraction and procrastination however, a light switched on. A light that begins with confession time, and I can confess that on a daily basis, I am engrossed by Facebook; I am enthralled by this digital ‘candy-shop’ of information. And if this is the case for someone with an educated background who barely has time to enjoy her coffee while it is hot, it is completely understandable that the youth, those who have welcomed technology with open arms are equally engrossed, engaged and enthralled. Further to this though, if Facebook has provided a platform for such intense interaction at a social level, is there a place for social networking in the classroom? How might my students use a site that was initially promoted as a communication tool for the masses to enhance their learning opportunities in the classroom? Is this really possible?
Social networking sites were launched in 1997 with Six.Degrees.com which was quickly followed with a range of other sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Flickr, YouTube and of course Facebook in 2004 (Mazman and Usluel, 2009). Facebook is defined by its own creators as ‘a social utility that helps people share information and communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and co-workers’ (facebook.com). From its conception at Harvard University, Facebook has evolved and now dominates the social networking world with an appeal that spans across all age groups, however, it is the youth who are drawn to the magic of digital interaction and the instantaneous gratification that comes with communicating with others through Facebook. It is the ease of communicating and sharing that has caught the attention of the youth, but Facebook is no longer seen simplistically as a place where one can share information and communicate anymore. It has become a platform where users create photo albums, form or apply to join social interest groups and even play games. In short, members can now share photos, send messages, chat, tag themselves, write on people’s walls, create groups, share ideas, buy and sell items, establish a business page, advertise, create awareness and use a range of apps to name some the sites capabilities (Mazman & Usluel, 2009). Fundamental to the youth and their engagement with Facebook though is their ability to assert their freedom of speech and expression. Facebook, in its most recent incarnation, has become the youth’s vehicle to express their opinions and a place where their voices can travel across all boundaries providing opportunities for them to learn outside of the classroom in an arena that appeals to their likes and interests, their attitudes and values (Maranto & Barton, 2010). However, the education arena has stumbled and struggled with how to approach their students’ digital profiles and has chosen to ignore the presence of social networking sites in their lives. Teachers have condemned Facebook as being a colossal distraction (of which my personal example highlights) and has contributed to the procrastination skills of teenagers (Fewkes & McCabe, 2012). While there are associated negatives with many technological advances, there are also inherent positives with acknowledging and using tools such as Facebook in the classroom. As teachers, we are continually encouraging our students to communicate, to interact with those around them and collaborate with peers; so why do we then choose to ignore the very tools that already exist?
In 2013, the Australian Communications and Media Agency conducted research into the online behaviours of teenagers in Australia. To summarise their findings into a nutshell, ‘78 per cent of eight to nine year olds; 92 per cent of 10-11s; 88 per cent of 12- 13s; 97 per cent of 14-15s and 99 per cent of 16-17s have used social network services at some stage’ (ACMA, pg 37, 2013). These statistics were published in 2013, so one could logically assume that with the excessive volume and enhanced technology of mobile devices gracing the hands of our youth today, these numbers would be elevated in 2016. As a direct result of the influx of mobile devices and the ease of accessibility to the world wide web, social networking sites, in particular, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat have become fundamental to social communication and survival for the youth. Statistics, and the digital hardware that seems physically attached to our students proves that firstly, students are engaged with communication and secondly, that they are more than proficient in the technology that assists them in communicating.
(Standard YouTube Licence, http://youtu.be/Ha3dHchSZDQ)
So, based on the obvious – that our students are heavily engaged in the world of Facebook, how can we use it in education? How is it possible to turn something that was designed for social communication into a tool to enhance learning?
Here’s five ideas that schools and teachers can use to enhance learning and teaching opportunities through digital communication and sharing on Facebook.
Creating a Facebook Class
The idea of being connected to a class 24/7 is a nightmare for any teacher. However, by creating a group on Facebook where your students can be ‘added’, effectively provides an additional resource where documents and information can be shared and discussed on a protected and guided scale. As the administrator, the teacher can guide the discussions and activities, however they don’t necessarily have to be as actively present as they would be in a classroom as simple monitoring of the posts, comments and sharing is sufficient. By removing this element, those students who are distressed at the idea of sharing ideas when in the classroom are now able to interact on a level that they feel safe with.
When creating an online classroom, various pedagogical practices can also be incorporated, such as flipped learning. Teachers can upload and share lesson content for students to interact and engage with and then use actual classroom to reinforce their learning. A digital environment such as this also allows for teachers and students to capitalise on face-to-face time to put their ideas, theories and newfound learning into practice (Coulombe, 2011).
(Standard YouTube Licence, http://youtu.be/Vj-XCUIbbcE)
2. Collaboration and Discussion
This idea continues on from establishing a Facebook classroom and focuses on group work, an activity then renders anxiety in many of the youth today. When attempting to establish group work in a classroom setting, teachers are well aware of the challenges faced by those students who struggle with self-esteem and confidence issues. The students who are comfortable and assured in their setting are more willing to approach their classmates to form groups on a face-to-face basis and also to share their ideas or promote the activity. However, research has demonstrated that those with lower self-esteem benefit from collaboration and discussion activities online as the physical act of interacting is removed (Lampe et al, 2011). Conducting group discussions through an established Facebook group allows students to share their opinions without the daunting experience of raising their hands. Maranto and Barton (2009) actually found in their research that online scholarly discussions using Facebook encouraged greater and more complex responses to questions relating to curriculum content and can assist students in their engagement with learning activities which ultimately leads to a growing social awareness and confidence.
3. Character Development and Analysis
In the English classroom, students are engaged in units of study where characters are constructed and studied through various narrative conventions. Up until recently, much of this construction was done through simple character profile worksheets and question/answer activities. However, Facebook now provides a whole new platform for this type of activity. Imagine the development of a character when constructing a Facebook profile for them in order to create a narrative around them. The complexity of thinking involved in an activity where photos could be added, posts published and comments shared with other members of the classroom would heighten their understanding of the character and therefore assisting in enriching critical literacy skills (Maranto and Barton, 2010). To appease those who question the privacy and access of Facebook, the world wide web has responded by creating Fakebook an educational tool that allows students to create ‘fake profiles’ in a similar manner to Facebook.
((c) Jody Nicholas, 2016)
In year 8 English, we have used this site when writing narratives. Prior to constructing the rising tension of a plot, students are asked to create their protagonist by developing a Fakebook profile which allows them to construct a multidimensional character through images, opinions, ideas, friends and family. As a learning tool, it provides a deep and enriching learning activity which brings their ideas to life through character development.
4. Teaching Texts and Enhancing Understanding
Similar to the process of developing characters, Facebook provides an innovative tool which invites student to role-play characters from a study text in order to develop not only digital literacy skills, but also enhance their critical literacy skills in English.
Victorian English teacher, Madeliene Coulombe used this approach in her teaching of Pride and Prejudice to Year 9 students. The class prepared for the experiment over a three-week period where students participated in reading the novel and viewing the BBC television adaptation. Through their textual engagement, they then investigated the style of dress for the period, the depiction of etiquette and social norms, the language choices made throughout and the constructions of relationships and characters throughout the plot. Students self-selected characters and through class-based learning activities they entered into the role-playing activity via Facebook in a designated lesson supervised by their teacher. A lesson such as this provided social stimulation for the students, encouraged collaboration and strengthened complex understanding of the designated study text and its inherent characters. Such learning is not capable through simple classroom discussion, and notetaking activities anymore. ‘The students took part in the role-playing with such gusto in the first 15 minutes that I feared there was no way they would be able to sustain the momentum for a full hour’ (Coulombe, 2011).
5. Sharing The Library
School libraries are at the heart of learning in any school environment. Facebook is at the heart of youth communication. If we can acknowledge these two philosophies, it would be remiss of the educational fraternity to ignore this obvious connection. The power of social media in the dissemination of information is obvious, so school library Facebook pages could assist in enhancing student knowledge of available information and information literacy skills. Teacher librarians around the world are using Facebook to not only promote their facilities and resources, but to also use their profile to provide access to valuable learning opportunities, new additions to the catalogue and even deliver information to enhance digital learning through the library. The Melbourne High School Library Facebook page demonstrates all of these capabilities and so much more for students, staff and the community as a whole.
Now, I’m not suggesting that Facebook become embedded across all KLAs and in all learning activities. I am also well aware of the dangers that exist when the youth access social media sites. I will also acknowledge that it is the responsibility of teachers to ensure safe practice when using tools such as Facebook as an educational tool in the classroom. All of these considerations must be carefully addressed prior to utilising social networking sites like Facebook in the classroom. If a teacher chooses to take the proverbial by the horns bull, then the opportunity to discuss cyberbullying and cyber safety should also be acted upon. What I am suggesting though, is that as teachers, we can’t deny the digital natives that our students have become. If Facebook exists, and our students are savvy in its communication capabilities, perhaps it’s time that we endorse the vehicle for communication that is native to them, use it to enrich learning and to further enhance the element of fun in the classroom.
References:
Coulombe, M. (2011). Pride and prejudice and facebook : Social media in a year 9 english classroom. English in Australia, 46(3), 89-93.
Fewkes, A. M., & McCabe, M. (2012). Facebook: Learning tool or distraction? Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(3), 92. doi:10.1080/21532974.2012.10784686
Lampe, C., Wohn, D. Y., Vitak, J., Ellison, N. B., & Wash, R. (2011). Student use of facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6(3), 329-347. doi:10.1007/s11412-011-9115-y
Maranto, G., & Barton, M. (2010). Paradox and promise: MySpace, facebook, and the sociopolitics of social networking in the writing classroom. Computers and Composition,27(1), 36-47. doi:10.1016/j.compcom.2009.11.003
Mazman, S. G., & Usluel, Y. K. (2010). Modeling educational usage of facebook. Computers & Education, 55(2), 444-453. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2010.02.008