This document discusses the potential benefits and disadvantages of teachers creating private Facebook groups for students. Some key points: - Most students are on Facebook and use mobile devices, opening possibilities for educational uses of the platform. - Private Facebook groups allow teachers to communicate with students without being official "friends" and provide a safer online space. - Potential educational uses of private Facebook groups include continuing classroom discussions, collaborating on projects, practicing language skills, and celebrating events. - However, using Facebook may be time-consuming for teachers and raise issues of age restrictions and parental permission that need to be addressed.

1. Student-Teacher-
Facebook
Yes or No?
Marijana Smolčec, EFL teacher
Gimnazija Bernardina Frankopana
Ogulin, Croatia (@mscro1)

2. Students and Facebook
- most of the students
have FB accounts
(95%)
- computer, mobile
phones, iPhones

3. Why do students mostly use
Facebook?

4. Students and Facebook
gossip
play games
chat
share videos
meet new friends
LEARNING?
School

5. Can we use Facebook for educational
purposes?

6. Students-Teacher-Facebook
FACEBOOK GROUPS
OPEN
CLOSED
SECRET

7. Secret (private) Facebook groups
 NO need to be friends with students
 Members need to be invited to the group
 Safer environment
(“secret” group cannot be
found on FB search)
 Send messages to members
 Instant feed
 Group chats
 Organize events
 REAL example of BLENDED LEARNING

8. More Advantages
Classroom work
after classroom!
Student engagement
Useful while doing
online projects
Language practice
Time saverStudent Collaboration

9. Any possible disadvantages?
time consuming
age restriction
parental permission

10. Teacher = administrator
Image credit: http://pics.tech4learning.com

11. Idea
 Students
(teenagers 14-18 years of age)
 My PLN
(ArgentEgypt group, MojaMatura FB
website...)

12. Examples/Results
1. CRO-URUG penpals
3-year online project with teacher Claudia
Example of sharing an online activity in group

13. Congrats!

14. We celebrate B-days!
We learn, explore...

15. Organize chat events

16. Talking about online safety – sharing some brochures about SID and FB
Project classroom group

17. Share documents, photos

18. Students share their works: glogs, vokis, linoits....

19. Blogging project group
Students share their blog post, discuss possible topics, do polls, exchange ideas...

20. exchange ideas, creating polls,
sharing videos, preparing
activities
...

21. Comenius groups
Sharing and creating documents, photos,
free storage

22. Creating a group
Facebook group icons

23. Connect with your students
they will appreciate it! 

24. Thank you for listening!