10 Ways Facebook Strengthens the Student - Teacher Connection

The innovative educator

In our data driven world of education today, we often forget that behind all that data real students whose hopes, dreams and
desires are often left behind or unnoticed. Don’t be fooled by the data that points to success by numbers rather than faces.  When
you scratch past the numbers, you’ll find many real kids who know these tests have been politicized and that what is most important
is their connection with adults who care about them.  This was evident during my recent trip to Educon where I had the pleasure of
attending a panel featuring students who shared the importance of, “teachers relating to them as people, not just students”  For
them this helped develop a deep level of trust with their teachers who they knew really cared about them deeply and were looking
out for their best interests.  

Some students told stories of running a marathon with their teachers, others shared how great it felt for them that their teacher
who coached them in a sport or activity saw them shine in a particular area of their life.  The students also explained how the use of
Facebook has help strengthen their connections with teachers and their principal.  They also shared, that, they don’t “expect” their
teachers to be friends with them on Facebook, but appreciate it when they do.  Below are ways that they, their teachers, their
principal and others have have found Facebook to be an effective tool in strengthening the educator / student bond.  

1. Reaching out to a student in need

Students shared that sometimes it’s hard for them to approach a teacher or even really reach out for help face-to-face.
Sharing a disappointment on Facebook can be easier. Students shared how touched they were by encouraging words from
a teacher either on their page, or as a face-to-face follow up.
2. Getting a peak into the lives of students
Facebook provides a window into the worlds of students.  A look at a student’s Facebook page might explain a little
something about how or why a student may have reacted to something on a particular day.  As one student said, “We are
people, not just students. Facebook is a great reminder of that.”
3. The family connection
Students at the Science Leadership Academy explained the great importance of their peers and staff as family.  Facebook is
a terrific way to share and keep up with family.  They appreciate having that opportunity.  
4. Instant learning and homework support
A student might notice a teacher online and use the pop up chat to ask if they mind giving advice about a topic they were
studying. If their teachers (or principal) is available s/he can offer support. Luna, a student at SLA explained it this way, “We
can still get teachers to help us while we’re at home doing our homework instead of having to wait until the next day.
Teachers feel a lot more accessible and also approachable.”
5. Snow Day - Update!!!
Not sure if school will be open or closed on a snow day?  Check it out on your teacher and/or Principal's page on Facebook.
You’ll find the answer and a whole lotta comments.
6. Facebook lets teachers create a no excuses environment
This came directly from a student who shared that she liked that Facebook kept all students accountable.  When you’re
friends with your teachers and students on Facebook, you generally best really be sick on a sick day, or you’ll be outed.
Furthermore, students like the idea that if you get stuck with school work you can always post it on your Facebook wall and
tag some friends and teachers who will be able to chime in with advice.
7. Snow days and sick days don’t hold you back
Just because students are home doesn’t mean they can’t participate.  During a recent snow event teachers and students
connected on Facebook about assignments and assessments, barely missing a beat.  For a student who is sick, she can post
that on Facebook, tag key people, and get filled in on what she missed in real time.  
8. Using facebook teaches you how to deal with the world and the way it works
Students like the fact that adults are connecting with them using real-world tools that they’ll need to know how to use
effectively to be successful.  At the writing of the article, Egypt’s Facebook revolt was taking place.  Kids are keenly aware of
the power of social media and want to be empowered and trusted to operate in such environments.  They feel neither a
school or government should ban them from using powerful tools to communicate and connect.  
9. Facebook as a Learning PortalMore and more students are using Facebook for learning and not just to talk to others about
what they’re working on.  One Science Leadership Academy student shared that for physics a group of her peers created a
Facebook page about motion.  They created it as a learning portal that contained, definitions, photos, videos, articles and
discussions.  Not only was this a learning portal for these students, but it remains on Facebook as a learning tool for others
studying the topic. 

Librarian Michelle Luhtala helped break the ban on social media in her school. See what happens when students are given
the trust and freedom to learn using Facebook.

10. Mobilize in an instantWhen Science Leadership Academy students found out that a snow day was declared on the first day
of their Educon conference for educators, they jumped into action on Facebook where their principal shared a note as well
as words of encouragement to all students. The principal shared this status up date at 10:45Chris Lehmann There's going to
be a horde of kids at SLA tomorrow. This is EduCon, and this is *their* school, and a little snow isn't going to stop them.
Both his note and status updates were met with plenty of comments from spirited students and educators.  

There are more and more educators and students like those at the Science Leadership Academy who are harnessing the
power of social media to connect more deeply with students.  Unfortunately for some it’s an uphill battle, but one they plan
to fight none-the-less in today’s 21st century world, we know life doesn’t just happen face-2-face.   
 Is Facebook Good Or Bad For Students? Debate Roils On

Does Facebook have a positive or negative effect on students? Oh, if only the issue were so clear-cut!

Most recently, OnlineEducation.net, an online database designed to inform current and prospective students about education
opportunities in the U.S., compiled a mound of research data on college students and their use of social media.

On analyzing it, the group could only conclude that the results were inconclusive and mixed. Thus, the debate roils on.

Key survey findings include:

 96 percent of college students use Facebook;

 Grades of students who checked Facebook while studying were 20% lower than grades of those who didn’t check Facebook
while studying;
 79 percent of students did not believe that multitasking in the way mentioned above negatively affected their grades;
 20 percent of students that use social media reported feeling connected to their institution;
 75 percent of college students reported wanting to collaborate online.

None of this is earth-shattering. If a student in the throes of cramming for finals is distracted every few minutes by the urge to check
Facebook status updates involving friends’ day-to-day dating sagas and roommate skirmishes, it only makes sense that the student
will be less engaged in learning, absorb less knowledge and likely score lower on the big test.

Yet, the same results might be seen for students who get up every few minutes to grab a snack, watch TV or incessantly pick up the
phone to text or call friends while studying.

However, if the student is using Facebook to propel his or her knowledge, for example, by participating in a Facebook group created
by a professor for students of a particular class, than the social network may have a positive influence on education and spark the
student’s interest in learning certain subject matter.

For instance, in such a space professors and students can participate in the sharing of knowledge, by posting articles (and responses
to them), speaker events, lectures and personal experiences involving topics related to the course. When this happens, Facebook
can be a boon to education, actively engaging students in the pursuit of knowledge. Yet, as AllFacebook recently reported, teachers
are increasingly discouraged (for good reason) from accepting students’ friend requests.

An important benefit seen in the statistics above is the ability of Facebook to make college students feel socially connected, with a
greater sense of community. This can be beneficial in boosting students’ self-esteem. Past studies have shown that students who are
active on Facebook are more likely to participate in extra-curricular activities.

But, as we have also seen in the news, social media can also have a negative effect on emotional health when abused by cyberbullies
who harass and torment peers.

Also, as AllFacebook reported, one study found that students with the most friends on Facebook feel more health-harming stress.
Thus, students should be warned to not put too much stock in the social network. At the end of the day, students, as all people, of
course, are more than the sum of their social network.

Ultimately, like with anything, how social media affects students may come down to how it is used and the frequency with which it is
used.

Readers, do you think Facebook is good or bad for students?

Facebook and College Students: Advantages & Disadvantages

Is Facebook is a study distraction and an unhealthy way to spread college drama? Or is it a valuable social networking tool? Here's
arguments on both sides.

Not so long ago, college students lived in a world without Facebook, the social networking site that launched in 2004 and now has
over 500 million users. For today's college students, Facebook has become as commonplace as school sweatshirts and dreary
cafeteria food.

But is Facebook good for college students? Has it added a valuable element to college life, or does it detract from a quality
educational and social experience? Here are some arguments on both sides of this debate.

Resolved: Facebook is Bad for College Students

College students have always had study distractions, from video games to parties to the cute girl in the front row. But Facebook
really takes distraction to a new level. Bored college students can spend hours reading their friends' updates, looking at pictures,
playing Farmville or whatever the latest game is, and doing all kinds of things other than their homework. And thanks to mobile
devices and laptops (which come to class allegedly so that students can take notes), the Facebook distraction can go anywhere a
student can go.

Another problem with Facebook: it promotes student drama. College students have always been fighting about who's dating who
and who's dissing who, but previously this generally stayed within groups of friends and dorm room floors. Today, angry students
can vent drama to the world before common sense sinks in and prevents them from hitting "share." Amusing as this may be for
some, this kind of public drama certainly does not promote friendship or civility.

In relation to both of these issues, some might argue that Facebook distracts students from paying attention to more important
social concerns. College is a time when many students hope to concern themselves with politics, philosophy, art, and other matters
more serious than drunken pictures from Ashley's party.

And speaking of Ashley's party, another problem with Facebook and college students has to do with TMI, or "too much information."
Now that parents and professors and future employers and just about everyone else is on Facebook, it isn't really private anymore. It
can be tempting to post incriminating photos, obnoxious status updates, assorted drama, and other things that shouldn't be viewed
by one's 1,245 friends.

Resolved: Facebook is Good for College Students

On the other hand, Facebook is a fantastic social networking tool, and can be used to help students communicate with each other
about all kinds of things. Fall asleep in history class and need someone's notes? Looking for a tutor or a study partner? Need a ride
home for the weekend? Need a lead on a campus job? Wondering where the party is? Moreover, since many professors are on
Facebook too, this may be a good place to ask a quick question about an assignment.

Perhps even more importantly, Facebook can continue to serve as a networking resource after college, when it comes time to look
for a job. Those hundreds of college friends on Facebook, who live all over the country and the world, will work for hundreds of
companies in the near future. That constitutes a significant network.

Facebook has also proven to be a great resource for high school seniors and others who need information about schools. Need to
know what a school is really like? Log onto Facebook and find some school fan pages, and ask students about their experiences.
Once students are admitted, Facebook is a great place to meet classmates ahead of time and to get to know college roommates.

Since many college students are away from home, another advantage of Facebook is that it gives students the opportunity to stay in
touch. Students who are homesick can keep in touch with family members and friends back home, and students who are in long
distance relationships can have an easier time feeling connected.

As for the issue that students are tuning out more serious issues to hang out on Facebook, there's the matter of political
organizations and other groups that have a Facebook presence. Students who want to get involved in campus or off-campus
organizations, or who want to learn more about issues and ideas, may be able to find information and a network of like-minded
people on Facebook.

Ultimately, Facebook is what students make of it. For many, it truly does serve as a distraction that makes it hard to study, and for
many others, it's a valuable social networking tool (and, of course, for many students, it's both). At any rate, Facebook has greatly
changed how students interact on college campuses in a very short period of time, and until something else comes along, it appears
to be here to stay.

Using Facebook in Education

Facebook can be a learning tool in that engages students, involves parents and creates a sense of belonging which can lead to
academic success.

In middle school and high school, Facebook and texting are a part of every child’s life. More and more students come to school with
their smartphones and have access to Facebook even when some schools block access on their computers. Reuben Hoffman and
Dan McDowell are two high school teachers who choose to embrace this technology and use it to facilitate learning in their
classrooms.

Online social networking programs such as Facebook can be used to connect students and create a sense of belonging in school.
These social networking sites can also create a forum for co-constructing knowledge and facilitate instant communication between
teacher and students as well as teachers and parents.

Creating a Sense of Belonging in the Classroom using Technology

Communicating with students using Facebook draws out students that may be more introverted. “It’s about developing a sense of
community.” Mr. McDowell has observed that the classes who use Facebook as a learning tool are more engaged and students feel
more connected in the classroom. When students feel a sense of belonging, they tend to be more academically successful in school
(McDowell, San Diego Computer Using Educators Conference, 11/6/10).