SOCIAL STALKING OR USEFUL EDUCATIONAL TOOL?

 Since its launch in 2004, facebook has continued to grow in popularity amassing 900 million users worldwide, 50% of which log in daily.  I am one of those 900 million and have been for some years.  Living and working overseas in harsh climates was a lonely and testing time,  I found that facebook kept me abreast of normal life, I was up to date with the hum drum of family life and could dip in and out when time permitted.  my facebook account

Now Ive been on this earth for 43 years and have amassed friends from all corners of this world and without the power of facebook I imagine that I would have lost contact with a great deal of them, the christmas and birthday cards would simply stop falling on the door mat..... however facebook keeps friendships alive and I will be forever grateful for that,  however something I had never considered was whether facebook could be a useful educational tool?   Lets review this, let us first look at how technology has changed the way we learn.  This short video by Goldman Sachs sums up how technology has broadened options for the student today.

Seems we all need to consider embracing technology and social media as a learning platform, in fact we may be slightly behind the curve.  It seems that teachers are a step ahead and have recognised that facebook could and can be harnessed and used as an e learning tool in the classroom.  The below 8 minute (rather dull but informative)video clip by Patty Ball evaluates facebook as a learning tool and presents a very balanced view that highlights the benefits and raises concerns regarding security and privacy.

Now how about whether I can use facebook as an educational tool?  lets see, well I read all the news snippets from Reuters, Sky, BBC and AL Jazeera but I could pick up any of those on line or by picking up a paper.... what can Facebook do that no other media form can ........I mentioned earlier that I had contacts and friends all over the world.... Could I learn something specific from one of them I wonder.

Out of a varied cast, I was drawn to a chum called John Blackwing who is a native American living in Montreal, Quebec and has been featuring rather heavily on my facebook pages of late following the US elections.  As you can imagine John has been rather vocal about President elect Trump, but again, this is a topic that is well documented in the broad sheets et al, so what else.... Well, John has been sharing the Indigenous peoples plight and peaceful demonstrations against the North Dakota access pipeline at Standing Rock reservation.  

What is apparent is the Media Gagging over this ongoing protest.  If it were not for John, I would not be aware of the following:

302 communities accross the US have held events for a nationwide day of action.

The very present police brutality against the indigenous people peacefully protesting against the pipeline.

The US Government banning Native American tribes from protesting on their own land.

This reaction originates from the non violent protest by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe

So it seems one can learn from facebook but students beware, what you will learn will of course be biased, a one sided argument and thus always research topics further on other media forums.  Make sure that when you do form an opinion its because you hold all of the facts and not before.