by Barbara Fiedor

and

in ESL classroom.

statistics2012

in numbers

The advantages of using FB and Twitter in ESL

Facebook/Twotter aren’t just a great way for you to find old friends or learn about what's happening this weekend, it is also an incredible learning tool. Teachers can utilize these SNS for class projects, for enhancing communication, and for engaging students in a manner that might not be entirely possible in traditional classroom settings. Remember, teachers’ goal is to prepare Ss for our global society, all because the Internet becomes our default state of being.

How can you utilize FB/ Twitter in a good way?

• Create groups/Set a Facebook Page - You can create groups/pages for entire classes or for study groups with smaller subsets of students that allow for easy sharing of information and communication, without students even having to friend each other.

• Schedule events - From beginning of semester mixers to after-finals celebrations, easily schedule events for the entire class using Facebook.

• Send messages/tweets - From unexpected absences to rescheduling exams, it's easy to send messages through Facebook/Twitter.

• Share multimedia - With the ability to post videos, photos, and more, you can share multimedia content easily with the entire class.

• Post class notes - Post notes after each class period for students to have access for review or in case they were absent.

• Make announcements - Instructors can send out reminders about upcoming tests, upcoming due dates, or any classroom news.

• Brainstorm - Students can have the ability to add their thoughts to the class any time they occur allows for more opportunities for brainstorming off each other.

• Share interesting websites - Students and instructors alike can post interesting websites that add relevancy to the class.

• Post homework - Posting homework through Facebook/Twitter not only provides easy access for students, it also puts in writing specifically what is expected and when it is due.

Benefits of using Social Networking Sites on your lessons

• Inviting atmosphere - it’s a pressure-free environment.• Students are comfortable with Facebook/Twitter – Most

students are already users of Facebook/Twitter, so implementing it into class provides a comfortable way for students to participate in class.

• Informal - The informality inherent in Facebook's/Twitter’s connections lend to yet another reason students may be more willing to participate in class activities here.

• Promotes collaboration - Facebook's/Twitter’s design promotes social interchange between participants, thereby increasing collaboration between students working on activities.

• Students engaged outside of class - When students are accessing the class content more often, that means they will be thinking about and engaging in the lessons more frequently.

• Ambient awareness - Facebook provides an excellent opportunity for students and instructors to participate in ambient awareness, a way of getting to know those you follow on social networks in more meaningful ways.

Tips for teachers/future teachers

• Create a separate account just for your classes - Keep two accounts if you want to use Facebook personally as well. This keeps your Facebook relationship at school on a professional level.

• Manage privacy settings - If you don't want to manage two accounts, use these tips to manage privacy to keep your personal and professional lives separate.

• Friend students carefully - Make sure you are friending students in current and former classes for professional purposes. Keep as professional a distance on Facebook as you would in person.

• Ask students to put you on limited access to their pages - This keeps you from having to see their Spring Break photos, status updates that may indicate why they really missed that midterm, or any other information that may compromise your professional working relationship.

• Create lists - Create a list for each of your classes, then keep students in each class on that list. This is a great way to organize your students.

• Stay active - Keep posting messages, use as many Facebook apps and resources as possible, and update status reports so your students know you are engaged and you stay an important part of the Facebook experience.

• Get over the term ‘friend’ - Many professors are disturbed by the idea of making friends with their students. Instead of adapting the Facebook term in the common way, try to think about the relationship as one of a mentor, or in an Aristotelian version of a utilitarian friend.

Twitter in Plain English - https://twitter.com/signup

http://bit.ly/WcyZIo

Twitter Lexicon

• Tweet: Your 140-character (or shorter) message• Twittering: The act of sending your tweet• Followers: People who receive your tweets• Retweet: Forwarding a tweet to your followers• @ : The symbol that precedes the name of a person

you’re replying to• Tweep: Someone you know on Twitter• Tweeple: See “tweep”• Twoops: Accidentally sending a direct (private)

message publicly

Twitter in the classroomIDEAS:1) 140 a day Learning Log: Ask a student to tweet “What did we learn

today?”2) Discuss weather/Learn brevity in writing.3) Connect with classes on a project.4) Start a “photo a day” project.  Tweet one photo of a project or learning

activity every single day.5) Tweet famous conversations. Have students tweet imagined

conversations between famous literary figures such as Romeo and Juliet, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, or Dante and Beatrice.

TIPS:1) Don’t feel like you need to watch the tweets ALL day.2) Have a conversation with kids about age requirements to have their

own account and make it clear that you are not inviting 8 year olds to get a Twitter account.

3) Encourage kids to ask questions of other classes.  Weather? Current learning topics?

4) Posting long links eats up the 140 characters allotted on Twitter, so shorten URLs with this tool. – use https://bitly.com/

USEFUL APPs on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/appcenter/my

• Superflashcard – vocabulary/grammar teaching tool http://bit.ly/10lQncl

• WeRead – reading comrehension (books available online) http://bit.ly/Wcve5D also GoodReads - http://bit.ly/UOtKgg

• WorldCat - search for an item in libraries near you http://bit.ly/UgN3Qo

• Opinion Polls – writing/creative thinking ask question and get the answers from your Ss http://bit.ly/WDOuql

• BookReviews – writing – Ss can upload their creative pieces of writing http://bit.ly/WoIGBm

• Slideshare – share you PPT presentation/find PPT presentation you want

• Bitly - shortening long URL (especially useful with Twitter) - https://bitly.com/

Disadvantages/Fears

• Time consuming• Hinders real face-to-face communication• Focuses more on written forms than on oral

production• The users identity being excessively exposed