POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Yes With the inevitable invasion of
Facebook and other social networking tools into the
classroom, educators have begun a heated debate on
their worthiness as instructional tools. Many seem
determined to reject such tools, while others seem
willing to consider them an engaging avenue for
strengthening the phenomenon of learning.
It’s intriguing to hear adults’ reactions when they
first discover Facebook. I have often heard people
exclaim how great it is to “connect” with a former
classmate, distant relative, or colleague after a
lengthy drought of contact. There is just something
magical about the feeling of being connected with
one another that lifts our
spirits and helps us achieve
things we might not other-
wise. So, rather than treating
social networking like an un-
necessary malignancy, maybe
we should learn how to lever-
age its value when it’s in the
hands of learners.
Facebook has significant
merit compared with face-to- Larry S. Anderson
Of course Facebook can’t replace
face-to-face! Even though I see myself as a genuine
agent of change in the world of education, I think
that harboring the idea that social networking is the
“holy grail” of pedagogy is a major mistake. In fact,
isn’t the search for such a “one size fits all” magic-pill approach always the wrong way to go?
My experience as a teacher (and as a student)
tells me that differentiated instruction is not a
method, it is a philosophy. It recognizes that it is
as individuals, with personal passions, talents, and
presuppositions, that we learn—and teach! The
most, and perhaps the only, way to effectively teach
anyone anything is in the context of that under-
standing. Such individual
needs and characteristics can
be identified only through
communication—effective
communication—and com-
munication itself is not best
achieved in a climate that al-
lows for only one medium.
Face-to-face is, and will
continue to be, an important
component of education, at
No
Ellen Hildenbrand
