FACEBOOK - Online

It used to be that I would check my email first thing in the morning and multiple times throughout the day. In the last year or so, that obsessive email habit has been replaced by Facebook, and I am fairly certain that I am not the only one. Chances are if you are reading this Blog, you know what Facebook is. And even those who aren’t connected online in some manner have at least heard of it.

We are nearly a decade into the 21st Century, and education is evolving faster than ever before. With all the exciting bells and whistles that go along with technology, colleges and universities are doing all they can to keep up. The explosion of social networking is easily reflected here. During my spring semester in the MSIDT program at CSU Fullerton, I wrote a short term paper on education in the 21st Century. While sorting through multitudes of various articles, I came across a well written article by Tamara L. Wandel titled Colleges and Universities Want to be Your Friend: Communicating via Online Social Networking. This article addressed the reality of our society, and with that how it effects how we learn best illustrated by this quote, “…technology isn’t part of students’ lives these days. It is their lives.”

The primary purpose of social networking sites is to allow users instantaneous connectedness with likeminded individuals. Sure, it’s a great way to touch base with people you haven’t seen in 20 years, but it is also an easy way to keep in touch with the people who are a part of your here and now, which in the life of a student is 24/7. Online learning can be isolated. Instructors are encouraged to find new ways to help the online student feel less alone; make them feel as connected as if they were in the classroom.

To be perfectly honest, the idea of implementing Facebook into an online course appears daunting, but then I am not a teacher (yet). Thanks to one of my co-bloggers and good friend, Kristi, here is a site that lists 25 Facebook Apps That Are Perfect for Online Education (funny, the actual URL indicates 15 apps, but the title and article list 25…one more indication how quickly these tools and applications snowball). Here’s another one that boasts 101 Facebook Apps for Students.

From where I’m sitting, as someone with nearly a decade of experience working in distance learning and as a student in Instructional Design and Technology, and an avid Facebook user…I completely understand how Facebook has the appeal and ability to infiltrate today’s online experience, and that includes online education. Is this a good thing? I believe it is.

I came across this site 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know, and while it doesn't necessarily address online education and Facebook, I think it is useful information for anyone using Facebook, or any social networking site. Be careful what you post and/or allow others to see. Digital footprints can last a lifetime.