Social Networking

Posted: August 12th, 2013

Social Networking

Name:

Course:

Date:

Social Networking

Writers Address:

October 17, 2012

Receivers’ Address:

Dear Principal,

RE: REQUESTING FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOL IN THE CLASSROOM

The classroom is in constant need for improvement when it comes to the learning process. This process is effective especially if the motivation of the learner is high. The motivations arise from skills and tools teachers use in the pedagogical process. The social networking capabilities are increasing in all parts of the society. In view of this, I recommend that the learning process in the classroom setting adopt a social networking approach, specifically Facebook, to create a more interesting learning process. Many benefits can accrue from using Facebook in the classroom setting and it would be important to implement it in our classrooms.

The potential benefits include creating a more enjoyable learning environment, which will ensure that learner morale is always up. Another benefit is that learners can understand that learning is not restricted to the school (William & Chin, 2009). His opens up a new world of learning outside the school environment (Bosch, 2009). Students can engage in on line discussions about ongoing lessons with individuals on Facebook, making discussions in class more engaging and more informative by drawing necessary information from the Facebook friends. The students can also transfer the classroom at home by getting personalized attention during home based consultation. The free usage of social networking in classroom setting creates a friendlier environment since the teacher is no longer viewed as the one who inhibits the use of social networking in the classroom (Chen & Bryer, 2012).

However, there are risks involved in allowing Facebook in the classroom setting. Top on the list is the concern of teacher and students relationships and the issue of privacy (Bosch, 2009). This in turn may alter the desired outcome from using the social networks as a leaning medium. It is also a concern that a teacher’s private life should remain just that. It is unfortunate that a teacher may lose their jobs just by what has been seen of their Facebook page (Chen & Bryer, 2012). While the proposal is noble, Facebook in the classroom is more likely to create more distractions in class and in the end reduce students’ achievement levels. There is also creates the possibility of poor curriculum delivery since the teacher will always be fighting for attention against the social network in use (Chen & Bryer, 2012).

The teachers who may feel that maintaining societal distance between him and the learner may still need to be upheld. Teachers may therefore want to create separate profiles to detach their personal and professional lives. However, such thought may inhibit the teacher’s ability to deliver the content over the social networking systems (Chen &Bryer, 2012). This is because the teacher limits the full social interaction experience and only reveals a nature that has deterred consultation in the past. This in turn disadvantages the student in terms of the content received from the teacher through Facebook.

The limitations identified make the proposal seem improbable or unrealistic. However, current trends in the classroom setting suggest that learners may be more resistant to traditional methods of teaching (Bosch, 2009). Facebook offers a new way through which learning is more interesting to the learner. The benefits for Facebook use in class are clear yet the limitations cannot be ignored, therefore, undertaking this proposal would require apt measures that will enable students and teachers to gain maximum advantage from the use of Facebook (Bosch, 2009). It may desire that you may overlook the obvious limitations seek solace in the benefits attached to the proposal.

Sincerely,

Name:

References

Bosch, T. E. (January 01, 2009). Using online social networking for teaching and learning: Facebook use at the University of Cape Town. Communicato Pretoria-, 35, 2, 185-200.

Chen, B., & Bryer, T. (February 20, 2012). Investigating instructional strategies for using social media in formal and informal learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13, 1, 87-104.

Williams, J., & Chinn, S. J. (January 01, 2009). Using Web 2.0 to Support the Active Learning Experience. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20, 2, 165-174.