It is one option for communicating with parents and students. Put information into the place they use most often so they see it. Create a feeling of community around your classroom.
There are a few things you can do to ensure your use of Facebook with students remains professional and appropriate.
1. Do not "friend" students with your personal Facebook account. This prevents you from seeing their "wall" and them yours.
2. Make sure your privacy settings are done correctly. Make sure they are set so only friends can see your walls and photos.
3. Create a "page" for your classroom collaboration. See this one as an example: http://www.facebook.com/SCDSB You can see here that there is no wall for people to post comments and media, but they can comment on items that the page owner posts. So, as a teacher you could post homework, resources, links, videos, etc. for your class to see. These will come right into your students Facebook feed if they "like" the page.
SCDSB Digital Citizenship Resources:
There are a variety of classroom resources and lesson that can be used and adapted to support digital citizenship in our classes.
You will have to log into the scdsb staff website (https://www1.scdsb.on.ca/portal/page/portal/STAFF/SW_TEACH/ITResources/Digital%20Citizenship)
If that link does not work for you, you can go to the staff website, "teaching", "IT Resources" and then "Digital Citizenship".
Facebook and Digital Citizenship
Why use Facebook?
It is one option for communicating with parents and students. Put information into the place they use most often so they see it. Create a feeling of community around your classroom.There are a few things you can do to ensure your use of Facebook with students remains professional and appropriate.
1. Do not "friend" students with your personal Facebook account. This prevents you from seeing their "wall" and them yours.
2. Make sure your privacy settings are done correctly. Make sure they are set so only friends can see your walls and photos.
3. Create a "page" for your classroom collaboration. See this one as an example:
http://www.facebook.com/SCDSB You can see here that there is no wall for people to post comments and media, but they can comment on items that the page owner posts. So, as a teacher you could post homework, resources, links, videos, etc. for your class to see. These will come right into your students Facebook feed if they "like" the page.
SCDSB Digital Citizenship Resources:
There are a variety of classroom resources and lesson that can be used and adapted to support digital citizenship in our classes.You will have to log into the scdsb staff website (https://www1.scdsb.on.ca/portal/page/portal/STAFF/SW_TEACH/ITResources/Digital%20Citizenship)
If that link does not work for you, you can go to the staff website, "teaching", "IT Resources" and then "Digital Citizenship".
Other Great Resources:
SCDSB Memo on Social Networking in Class:
SCDSB Form for granting permission to post online:
ONTARIO SOCIAL MEDIA ADVISORY:
http://www.oct.ca/publications/PDF/Prof_Adv_Soc_Media_EN.pdf
How to set up a Facebook page:
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=191781594210352
A blog post by Mark Cawbone of the Waterloo Region District School Board.
http://markcarbone.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/facebook-in-the-classroom-resources/