Does using Facebook help students or hurt them? Research has been going back and forth. See links. The last school I worked at blocked campus access to the site – except for the police department who used it to check out job applicants and people who may have become an issue.
My policy has been to friend any student who requests it – but not to initiate the connection with students. Other teachers – particularly the female and high school or middle school teachers I’ve discussed this with, only friend students after class is over.
My class last semester created groups – that we used to some effect, but I’m not an expert on facebook.
I consider Facebook a form of online e-portfolio and have read arguements that creating e-portfolios is a skill students will need in future work environments. The topic shows up frequently in teaching journals and is hotly debated. What do you think?
