How to Teach a Class Using Facebook
Ask your school if they would oppose using a Facebook group along with your classroom curriculum., Do a survey of the number of kids in your classroom., Create a personal profile that is strictly professional., Make a Facebook group., Invite...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Ask your school if they would oppose using a Facebook group along with your classroom curriculum.
Many districts now have a policy about how students and teachers can appear on Facebook during school hours.
Present a detailed explanation of how you will use the group, how students will interact with it and what value it will add to the class. -
Step 2: Do a survey of the number of kids in your classroom.
If all of them are using Facebook, you are likely to benefit from making a group page for your class.
This may require your kids to be middle school-age or older.
Find out what percentage of the students have an Internet connection at home.
If any students do not, you can use the Facebook group primarily in a computer lab environment.
Try to ensure that students without a home connection will not be left out. , There are extra burdens on a teacher to remain professional, so ensure that you keep your professional profile private, do not add applications unless necessary and only post based on things you would say to students, parents and colleagues in a professional environment. , Opt to make a secret group where only members can see what has been posted to the page, in order to help protect the privacy of the students and the school.
Add educational photos, links and instructions. , You can type school emails into the "Members" section, or you can conduct a class in a room with computers, so that all the students can sign up at once.
If you choose to do it in a computer lab, you can also help start interaction on the group site that day.
Consider asking the students to sign a social media conduct sheet.
Include rules to keep all interaction appropriate, course related and friendly.
Anyone who is found to have broken the rules should face disciplinary consequences. , The following are ways that have been proven effective in engaging students with educational material:
Ask students to respond to a homework assignment by posting on the group page.
For younger children, give each child a different question, so that your students are learning from each other when they check the group page.
For older children, have them comment about their opinions on a reading assignment to check whether they have completed it.
By giving the students a deadline to comment and/or some time in the computer lab, you can check who has been doing their required reading.
Post reminders about upcoming homework assignments or tests.
This will encourage students to check back often, and it may increase the number of completed assignments.
Start a "word of the day" or "link of the day" feature on your group.
Post something that is relevant to that week's class and discuss it at the beginning or end of class.
This is a great way to supplement a textbook, because you can reference modern issues and other sources.
Ask students to post excerpts from their reports on the group.
Give them a deadline to post a photo of their subject and an introductory paragraph.
This will allow students to share knowledge.
Arrange a Facebook salon.
After a big assignment or test, ask students to have discussions online about what they have read.
They can be required to comment on 5 or 10 things in a constructive manner over the course of a week.
Ask students in a foreign language class to comment in the new language.
Students are likely to study harder and perfect what they will say if everyone will see it. , Students will have a place to find it if they lose a hard copy. -
Step 3: Create a personal profile that is strictly professional.
-
Step 4: Make a Facebook group.
-
Step 5: Invite students to become a member of your Facebook group.
-
Step 6: Use your classroom Facebook group on a daily or weekly basis.
-
Step 7: Post homework assignment in jpg or pdf format on the group.
Detailed Guide
Many districts now have a policy about how students and teachers can appear on Facebook during school hours.
Present a detailed explanation of how you will use the group, how students will interact with it and what value it will add to the class.
If all of them are using Facebook, you are likely to benefit from making a group page for your class.
This may require your kids to be middle school-age or older.
Find out what percentage of the students have an Internet connection at home.
If any students do not, you can use the Facebook group primarily in a computer lab environment.
Try to ensure that students without a home connection will not be left out. , There are extra burdens on a teacher to remain professional, so ensure that you keep your professional profile private, do not add applications unless necessary and only post based on things you would say to students, parents and colleagues in a professional environment. , Opt to make a secret group where only members can see what has been posted to the page, in order to help protect the privacy of the students and the school.
Add educational photos, links and instructions. , You can type school emails into the "Members" section, or you can conduct a class in a room with computers, so that all the students can sign up at once.
If you choose to do it in a computer lab, you can also help start interaction on the group site that day.
Consider asking the students to sign a social media conduct sheet.
Include rules to keep all interaction appropriate, course related and friendly.
Anyone who is found to have broken the rules should face disciplinary consequences. , The following are ways that have been proven effective in engaging students with educational material:
Ask students to respond to a homework assignment by posting on the group page.
For younger children, give each child a different question, so that your students are learning from each other when they check the group page.
For older children, have them comment about their opinions on a reading assignment to check whether they have completed it.
By giving the students a deadline to comment and/or some time in the computer lab, you can check who has been doing their required reading.
Post reminders about upcoming homework assignments or tests.
This will encourage students to check back often, and it may increase the number of completed assignments.
Start a "word of the day" or "link of the day" feature on your group.
Post something that is relevant to that week's class and discuss it at the beginning or end of class.
This is a great way to supplement a textbook, because you can reference modern issues and other sources.
Ask students to post excerpts from their reports on the group.
Give them a deadline to post a photo of their subject and an introductory paragraph.
This will allow students to share knowledge.
Arrange a Facebook salon.
After a big assignment or test, ask students to have discussions online about what they have read.
They can be required to comment on 5 or 10 things in a constructive manner over the course of a week.
Ask students in a foreign language class to comment in the new language.
Students are likely to study harder and perfect what they will say if everyone will see it. , Students will have a place to find it if they lose a hard copy.
About the Author
Claire Jordan
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: