Recently, educators have been struggling with the problem of keeping their students engaged and interested in educational materials.
They have been fumbling around to find ways to grab their students’ attention, who have grown bored with the traditional textbook teaching method, which doesn’t go with their hi-tech lifestyle.
Here comes Facebook, with its appeal to the vast majority of people and user-friendly interface to answer this dilemma and bring more students back to school.
Here’s how Facebook can be integrated into the teaching process:
1. Create Class Groups
Teachers can easily and smoothly create a group for their students with limited membership and privacy status, so the information can be circled in the class in no time.
Here are the advantages of setting up a class group:
- Posts, information, and notes can be easily recovered when needed. Just press the search icon and type the keywords of the information you want.
- It is a free venue to gather with others and give extra-class notes.
- Teachers can invite students’ parents to keep them in the know about their children’s performance and the material provided. Moreover, they get to know each other well and know their children’s friends and classmates, giving them a sense of security.
- It is an open space for dialogue where students can pitch in, give their opinions, and exchange views with others whenever they have time, which might be perfect for academic classes where they are asked to give their interpretations of a certain literary work.
- It encourages shy students to participate and engage.
2. Go For a Live Broadcast
Many times, a teacher asks for sick leave or cancels a class.
With Facebook live, teachers can lecture their students from the comfort of their homes using their mobile phones, tablets, or laptops.
As live videos have a comment section, students can contribute and interact quietly without disturbing the teacher, who might answer their inquiries live when they feel a point to be made.
As videos are saved and shared on the teacher’s profile, students who have missed the live broadcast can go back to them whenever they want.
They don’t have to worry anymore about running late. Live videos are perfect for recap sessions before midterms or final exams because they allow teachers to answer many students’ questions without feeling pressed for time.
Teachers can post the video on their stories, so it could be there for 24 hours. They may also edit Facebook stories to polish their video a bit.
3. Create An Education Page
Most students love and use Facebook, so if you want to address them, you need to set up a Facebook page and invite them to like it.
Here are some tips for setting up a Facebook page:
Ask tricky questions that are pertinent to the material.
This encourages students to search for answers and learn more about the material.
Use the automatic reply service to send the right answer to the students commenting on the post after a given period and close comments on the post, which renders the post more challenging.
Post and celebrate class events and achievements, either collective or individual.
Whenever the class gains a medal or an award, post that online. Let students feel their efforts are recognized and appreciated.
Remind the students of important celebrations and festivals that should be marked
Display class projects with their deadlines on the page.
It is a good idea to post some videos of the work in the process with some notes and directions.
Share content related to the material.
Share content, even if it is extra- curriculum, to broaden students’ knowledge and motivate them to learn more.
4. Reach Out to Other Educators
A teacher may use some extra help from other teachers in the same field who probably have more experience teaching the subject or have received a better education.
This method is especially useful for teachers in developing or third-world countries where the quality of education is notorious for being outdated and low.
For example, a teacher who has internet access in a remote African village may use videos for teachers in England or the USA to provide their pupils with the same quality of education without spending tremendous money.
Takeaway
In short, Facebook is a valuable pedagogical tool that shouldn’t be dismissed nowadays since it has a powerful impact on its followers and multi-feature apps that help convey information to students.
