Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Facebook for Teachers

Yesterday, we showed you a list of ways Facebook can be used in the classroom; to make announcements, schedule events, follow famous authors, etc. Most of these center around helping students learn, but it can also be utilized to help teachers.

As a middle school science teacher I often felt I was my own island, disconnected from other classrooms and teachers. Everything that happened in my room was a direct result what I did, or did not do.

Teachers using Facebook in the classroom have the potential to open things up to other colleagues and the outside world. Here are few ways to do that:

  • Share calendars and plan for upcoming events
  • Tag important items and easily collect notes, photos, and other media
  • Professional development isn't limited to summer, keep it going through the year
  • Keep parents in the loop for volunteer opportunities
  • Send messages or notes to administrators
  • Create field trip pages to save paper for flyers and instant announcements
  • Send reminders to colleagues, parents, administrators, or students in a single feed
  • Create a group for grade level or content area, then share with other schools/districts
  • Record lessons and have educators critique your performance

For guides on setting up Facebook pages, groups, profiles, and cyberbullying visit the handouts page of FacebookForEducators.org.