A great article discussing Facebook use in the classroom!

In my continuous quest for information about the use of social media in the classroom, I ran across a great article today about the use of Facebook as an educational tool. The article itself raised many questions I found to be critical if we, as educators, intend to make social media work in the classroom. (Link: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/ultimate-guide-to-use-of-facebook-in.html). I will allow you to read on with this article, because today, I am taking a slightly different approach to my post.

One interesting point raised by the author was that little empirical research exists on the use of Facebook, or many other popular social media outlets, as an educational resource in the course of instruction. As a doctoral student and someone interested in furthering the field of educational research, this struck a chord with me. Why is it that we have volumes and volumes of research on other areas of educational interest; however, we so little research on an educational area that is burgeoning?

This is certainly something that we must correct if we are to have factual data to support the ongoing push for technology use and social media in the classroom. As such, I would love to explore some ways in which we can fill this void in the educational research arena. Share your thoughts with me regarding a social media idea that you believe has validity and can produce a reliable study--I would love to partner with one of my readers to conduct a study of this nature!

Let's kick this idea into gear and blow away the research community with a study that will help to validate the future of our profession! Without solid research, the field of education becomes stagnant and we lose the ability to change with the times, so to speak. Educators must unite, explore new social media outlets, and report factual details about the opinions, experiences, and future applicability of this technology as a resource for instruction. I look forward to hearing from you on this exciting topic!