Learning through Facebook: A Potential Tool for Educators

This position paper describes uses of Facebook, a popular social network, that benefit educators. Specifically, the authors share ways educators can utilize Facebook to learn about trends and issues in education as well as to obtain ideas for classroom practice. Learning is not a product of schooling hut the lifelong attempt to acquire it. Albert Einstein Lifelong learning has many different forms. Information has never been more accessible than it is today with digital technology and social networks, and, according to Schlager et al. (2009), "the popularity of social networking among youth and teachers of the net generation is undeniable" (p. 86). Founded in 2004, Facebook (www.facebook.com) is a social network that currently has more than 500 million active users worldwide (Facebook, 20 1Ob). It has surpassed Google (www.google.com) as the most popular site in the United States (Wetzner & Gordon-Logan, 2011). Even though Facebook is widely known as a digital means of communication, it is also a means for gathering information. We encourage teachers to take advantage of information online on Facebook, and this article presents an overview of this powerful communication tool as a professional resource for educators. Facebook Facebook is a social network that provides an interface for people to communicate with friends, family, and coworkers, Facebook users can view newsfeeds, friends' updates, photos, videos, and so forth. Although there are many social networks to utilize (MySpace [www. myspace.com], Twitter [twitter.com], Linkedln [wwwJinkedin.com], etc.), Facebook is by fer the most popular, and it has been gaining media attention. CNBC s documentary, The Facebook Obsession (2011), reported a variety of ways people are using this network. Police are using Facebook to find criminals, and individuals are using it to find birth mothers. U.S. President Obama uses a social media team to connect with Americans across the country through Facebook and Twitter (Wetzner & Gordon-Logan, 2011). In the world of education, principals are utilizing Facebook to screen potential teacher candidates, and educators have used the site as an interface to promote communication and as a tool to interact with students and parents. Although Facebook receives both positive and negative attention, the fact remains that it continues to grow as a powerful resource for information. As teacher educators, we began tracking educational information on Facebook 2 years ago when we discovered its uses as a resource tool for educators. Through an examination of Facebook uses, we found a wealth of information available on Pages, which we describe in the next section. Pages Educational organizations publish Pages on Facebook that can be useful resources for educators. Pages may include information about the organization, current trends and issues in education, opportunities for professional development, and much more. The Page is also a place for Facebook users to collaborate with others. Educators can like Pages on Facebook and view updates and postings in their individual newsfeeds, which can lead to resources and ideas applicable to classroom instruction. Examples of professional groups using Pages include the International Reading Association (IRA), the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Reading Rockets (RR), National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the National Education Association (NEA), Membership in professional educational organizations is available for preservice and inservice teachers, but the fees can be prohibitive. However, one can join the Facebook Page at no cost. Following educational organizations through Facebook is thus one way to access valuable information and resources at no expense and through an online medium that is likely being used anyway. Liking a Page is a fast-growing use of social networks, with more than six million users liking Pages each day (Facebook, 201Oa). …