Facebook for Teachers

Social networking platforms such as MySpace and Facebook are so popular that they’ve broken generational barriers, attracting a diverse audience that includes friends, parents, and…gasp…former middle school teachers. Most of my friends are on Facebook, and many of them are educators.

For a long time the notion of teachers on social networks perplexed me, given the difficulty teachers have maintaining separation between their personal lives and “teacher personas.”

When a friend of mine who teaches high school mentioned that he uses Facebook in his classroom, I cringed. He went on to explain that his school district doesn’t allocate funds for technology in the classroom, and for him, Facebook is a catalyst in overcoming this. It turns out he’s not so innovative in his thinking after all; with so many students, teachers, and librarians on Facebook already, the social media site has become a platform to support learning communities for many educators.

Ultimately, Facebook is like having a virtual classroom—one where the teacher is in control, and students can contribute hyperlinks, videos and comments to continue their in-school conversations. I am now convinced that the open source classroom is the way to go; it’s where education continues past the bell. For ideas on setting up Facebook in the classroom, take a look at Didactalab, one teacher’s blog that provides the good, the bad and the ugly of Facebook applications for the open-source classroom.

Jen O'Neill
Education Writer