Module 4.5 - Facebook

Module 4.5

Fabio Montella

March, 2016

How do you see a Facebook page as adding value to the learning environment that you are creating? 

Accessibility.  Facebook will allow me to reach students and potential future students en mass and often.  The familiarity and popularity of this social media platform speaks for itself.

Given that you would use private pages for internal postings, are there ways that you would try to encourage an ongoing community or commitment through the Facebook venue?

I would encourage classmates to use this platform as a means to communicate with one another on instruction-related issues, while also connect on a more personal level.  Apprenticeships require some degree of camaraderie, which I would encourage the class or group to achieve collectively.

How would you plan on maintaining such an outward-facing social presence?

I would arrange a set schedule that would be dedicated to social media. Bi-weekly would suffice, but daily would be ideal.  I need to be understanding of the fact that not everyone in class will be as dedicated to viewing or using social media as others, and some simply will not have as much free time as others.

Would you maintain this yourself or share the responsibilities with the learners in your environment?

It would be a combined effort.  I would provide information while expecting some level of feedback and/or assessment and self-assessment from students.

Are there other comments and notes that you want to make about your personal learning and/or the challenges that will lie ahead as you start thinking about the expectations that others may have as outcomes from your learners?

I think many students will be a little apprehensive about using social media for something as traditional as custom tailoring classes.  In that regard, I will need to find an appropriate level of usage for social media which will keep students engaged and not alienate them.

 I also expect that some students may wish to have more lessons or information posted on Facebook.  Though some tutorials and instructions will be made available through social media, this must be kept at an appropriate level in order to serve the needs of all students and address all modes of learning.   A majority of the instructions will remain in a classroom.