This document discusses lessons learned and suggestions around using social media, particularly Facebook, for professional purposes in an educational setting. It identifies both strengths like opportunities for communication, and concerns such as platforms not being robust and establishing boundaries. Suggestions include keeping interactions professional and transactional, considering a shared agreement, and determining an appropriate level of self-disclosure. Overall it examines the issues and pros and cons of using sites like Facebook in an academic context.

1. Wrap Up & Next Steps

2. Lessons Learned: Strengths
• Opportunities for communication

3. Lessons Learned: Strengths
• Opportunities for communication
• Build relationships; student 2 student and
instructor 2 student

4. Lessons Learned: Strengths
• Opportunities for communication –
communication tool
• Build relationships; student 2 student and
instructor 2 student

5. Lessons Learned: Concerns
• Platform is not as robust as other
university and web tools

6. Lessons Learned: Concerns
• Platform is not as robust as other
university and web tools
• Establishing boundaries and avoiding
conflict of interest

7. Lessons Learned: Concerns
• Platform is not as robust as other
university and web tools
• Establishing boundaries and avoiding
conflict of interest
• Students may not want us there – creepy
tree house

8. Is it appropriate?
• 33% somewhat inappropriate
• 35% somewhat appropriate
• 22% undecided
• 4% very inappropriate
• 6% very appropriate
Mazer, Murphy & Simonds. (2007). I’ll See You On “Facebook”: The Effects of
Computer-Mediated Teacher Self-Disclosure on Student Motivation, Affective
Learning, and Classroom Climate. Communication Education 56 (1), 1-17.

9. Facebook Group
• Gee, I don’t think I want my professors on
facebook anymore
17 members

10. Facebook Groups
• Faculty Ethics on Facebook
o 583 members

11. Lessons Learned: Other Concerns?

13. Suggestions
• Professional and transactional

14. Suggestions
• Professional and transactional
o Accept all student friend requests or none
o Remember public nature of comments;
protect student privacy
o Focus on course-related topics

15. Suggestions
• Professional and transactional
• Consider a shared agreement

16. Suggestions
• Professional and transactional
• Consider a shared agreement
• Determine how much to self-disclose
o Photos, interests, campus groups

17. My professional presence

18. Other suggestions?

19. Social Web for Professional
Development
• Engage in the social life of your discipline
o Join an academic SNS

20. Google Notebook
• Social Networking Services for
Academics
http://tinyurl.com/AcademicSNS

21. Social Web for Professional
Development
• Engage in the social life of your
profession
o Join an academic SNS
o Subscribe to a blog
o Collaborate using online tools
o Create a Facebook Group for your course

22. Open Office Hours
Ask questions, Get advice and Hands-on Help
• In the Faculty Room, AH 1109
o Tomorrow, Nov. 13, 12:00 to 1:30
o Friday, Nov. 14, 11:30 to 1:00
o Tuesday, Nov. 18, 9:00 to 10:30

23. References
Let’s just be friends. (June 20, 2008). The Chronicle of Higher
Education. A28-29.
Mazer, Murphy & Simonds. (2007). I’ll See You On “Facebook”: The
Effects of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self-Disclosure on Student
Motivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate. Communication
Education 56 (1), 1-17.
Schools grapple with teachers’ Facebook use. (October 10, 2008).
eSchool News.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=55535