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Facebook In Schools

June 30, 2009 If used effectively, I am sure Facebook would be an added bonus to use in a school setting - for both teachers and students. Don't  you think?

Take a look at what 12-year old, kid reporter, Max Jones is using Facebook for, and it sure ain't cyberbullying.
"After a neighbor sent him an invitation to join, Jones’s advisor at “Weekend News Today” – an online news program with 11,000 viewers, where he is a reporter – thought the group would make a good story. After interviewing group members, Jones decided to get involved, becoming an officer and even organizing a vigil last month." (On Facebook, a young, grassroots movement for journalists held in North Korea by Karen Leigh)

So Max joined a Facebook movement in an effort to keep a spotlight on the prison status of journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were sentenced to12-years in North Korean labor camps. 

But how cool would it be to communicate and learn from other youngsters, via Facebook, with schools all over the world?

"Teachers see such exchanges not only as an exciting way to teach geography, history, language and science but also as a vehicle to forge connections that push children beyond cultural stereotypes." (by Mary Glod's article Students Without Borders Online Communication Facilitates Global Collaboration at Area Schools -Washington Post.com)

It sounds good, but the pessimism in me says it's a pie-in-the-sky thought, since FB scares most educators. You know, so did e-mail though, when it was first the rage.

My belief...once we learn to speak, and teach, using the students' tools, maybe then they will stop complaining about how bored they are in traditional classrooms. imho of course.

Posted by Amy Bowllan on June 30, 2009 | Comments (0)