Arguably, since the beginning of 21st century there are various forms of popular culture that affect learning, as well education curriculum. With modernity, popular cultures in education go beyond national and institutional cultures and boundaries. Various forms that have ventured into education has being brought by technology, this include e-learning, use of iPad technology in schools, mobile computing, social networking, research, as well as the cyber culture. This popular culture has affected education curriculum in various cultural ways including literature, music, dress code, as well as media. The most popular culture in many institutions is Facebook.
The diversity of cultural engagements that students bring to institutions, education, as well as mass media effects on curriculum, teaching, and learning have stimulated interest in studying popular cultures education. In fact, many students interact using Facebook, which is out of the school curriculum; often, this influences classroom instruction in negative and positive ways. Certainly, various phases of this popular culture demonstrate schooling process in stereotypical and unique way. One of the popular cultures that reflect trends in education and current issue is the use Facebook (Wheeler 124).
Undeniably, the use of Facebook by students is growing tremendously. In fact, most institutions across the globe are adapting and encouraging the use of Facebook, but others are totally against it. This form of popular culture has affected learning styles, teaching strategies, schooling lifestyles, as well as education curriculum. The use of Facebook is an innovative and unique popular culture in education today. Especially in the developed countries, but the culture is spreading promptly to developing nations (D’Agustino 75). At the beginning of the year 2012, Facebook received a boost through Apple’s company when they made a critical announcement that changed the educational curriculum, and educational culture. The announcements included the introduction of software application that enabled students to create text book, as well as a distribution of online textbooks. The iBook application could enable students to download freely and run programs on the iPad and iPhone. The students used this chance to access Facebook even within school curriculum.
The popular culture of using Facebook and its applications reflects a lot on the contemporary educational issues. In fact, students can access information, learn, socialize, as well as feel entertained through the use various Facebook. The rapid constant change of technology is by far creating various challenges and opportunities for schools. The opportunities of Facebooking has enabled students and teachers to access to information, multimedia content, online course taking, mobile computing, socialization, as well as the tremendous increase of personalized learning. Facebook has become a link in the education sector, where teachers can communicate to students on class activities. Technology in 21st century is a wide culture in education sector, but all it applications are interrelated to each other.
Facebook is becoming the most popular site of choice students, in which most integral activities take place behind the classroom scenes. Since the year 2004, most colleges in United States, have virtually laughed college networks within Facebook. The rate at which college and university students are adapting Facebook remarkable, approximately 85% of them are involved in college networking within Facebook. Furthermore, Facebook has a developing and incoming audience in perspective of students and teachers, making it a real virtual education community.
On the other hand, rapid changes in educational technologies make it difficult to determine what is best for the education curriculum. Facebook became popular in education institutions and curriculum before research had been taken into consideration (Wheeler 126). Facebook one of popular culture in which many education institutions are no longer debating whether it should play a role in education curriculum or not. Institutions are utilizing mainstream Facebooking to organize education events, delivering assignments, as well as communicating on class projects.
Facebook in a way reflects educational issues in various ways. But, educators wary so much about advertisement, security, social interaction, as well as information sharing. With the availability of iPad, Facebook in schools has become part of the curriculum, even if many educators are not for it. Surprisingly, what worries many educators it the absence of monitoring of students by school officials. (D’Agustino 92). Facebook has various unique features that are amenable to curriculum and education pursuits. For example, Facebook is well equipped with email, bulletin boards, video and picture, as well as instant messaging. Hence, students can collaborate and post information within Facebook. Recently, Facebook introduced application that one can download contents; this became a supplement to educational curriculum.
Undeniably, many students take Facebook extremely serious; hence, educators have decided to treat these sites with academic perspective. Incredibly, Facebook part of curriculum in education as it connects students, with teachers, students with students, leading to indirect creation of learning community, which is a crucial component of student learning. The culture of facebook in education does not clearly portray schooling in the globe. There are many institutions that have no access to technological advanced systems such as iPad and computers; hence, they cannot be part of the Facebook learning community.
Additionally, education curriculum has been affected tremendously; but, still Facebook portrays few of the accurate school curriculums. Some institutions are focused into adjusting their curriculum to include technological applications, such as digital textbook revolution. For example, some schools in developed countries have made Facebook part of the curriculum, which is aimed at improving communication, as well as socialization skills of students. Incredibly, students are the most affected by the culture of Facebook in schools. Socialization is part of students curriculum in many institutions in the globe, a topic that can be practically learned through Facebook (Wheeler127). Up to the elementary level, children understand the existence of Facebook, or to some extend know how to use it. The culture is universal among many students. The key issue is that the students use it more on diverse issues than on education related fields. Parents and other educators complain on how Facebook has affected studies.
Many educators believe that Facebook is vital in learning, as it has various academic benefits. The issue is controversial, but students are allowed to learn and share ideas through Facebook. Students in contemporary schools are allowed to unanimously work on academic projects in an online environment; this is because Facebook is too familiar to students. Study show that students who fear to contribute in class become more engaged in Facebook. Perhaps, Facebook has extended learning curriculum, this is because teachers can extend school time through Facebook online interaction. It allows teachers to connect with students on sample work, academic links, upcoming events, as well as assignments (Zodhiates 124). Furthermore, Facebook give students a chance to view their teachers profiles, which enhances effective learning, classroom environment, and student motivation.
Furthermore, the culture of Facebook in education is a portrayal of a moderate percentage of leaning in schools. Educators and other education stakeholders have taken Facebook as a tool of developing professionalism. For example, the Facebook accommodate education instructors teaching various subjects in school, like Biology, chemistry, and English. In addition, Facebook is one of the professional arenas, where students chat and share on pre-arranged learning subjects. Generally, the portrayal of curriculum, schooling, learning and students by Facebook is relative. In other institutions, it portrays the accurate conditions, while in other educational institutions, it is totally different.
Information and perception of Facebook impact the youth and children in various ways, either negatively of positively. It is clear that children are affected by information from Facebook. It helps them to have substantive communication, writing, and reading skills. The participation of children in Facebook motivates them towards reading and writing. A social-networking site Facebook has taken the globe too fast (D’Agustino 146). The youth believe the introduction of Facebook and technology has affected the privacy space. For example, in this generation things that the society viewed as private has become public. The youth receive the information positively, believing that their life is moving so fast. But in the real sense, the issue of Facebook has hindered the relationships among the youth, either in school or not.
Facebook gives the youth a chance to express their innovative, inventive, and creative skills, as well as sharing ideas online. Apart from sharing of ideas, research shows that most of the youth in institutions spend most of their time in Facebook. This implies most students have foregone their studies and focused more on socialization, an opportunity that teachers should use to model all class work activities (Zodhiates 168). Introduction of Facebook in schools makes the youth happy because it is a source of entertainment, increased information, and an avenue to lean more of real life. This affects education adversely, but the youth are more concern with the entertainment. Information found in Facebook impress the youth, especially as a socialization arena. The youth both male and female have found virtual friends through the social network, of whom they fantasize many aspects of life, share comments, chat, and discuss various aspects of life.
Without doubt, teachers, students, researchers and education stakeholders have the responsibility of enhancing, adopting, and challenging messages promoted though Facebook. Teachers should be given the responsibility to administer Facebook within the institutions; the move is difficult, but messages through Facebook need to be under control, or else it will harm the growth of students. The most challenging part in the introduction of technology is cost effectiveness. Education stakeholders should invest more in introducing iPads to schools to enhance online reading, research, and socialization. The culture of Facebooking will only work in an environment with internet, and other Wi-Fi technologies. Students should be made aware of negative and positive impacts Facebook, especially as part of education curriculum (D’Agustino 132).
In the past, little research has been undertaken to analyze the impacts of Facebook in the school curriculum. Hence, a lot of study should be implemented to analyze the impacts of Facebook in education curriculum. With the presence of Facebook, an open forum of all ages should be carried out so that critical issues are discussed among students, parents, and specialists. Importantly, Facebook presents opportunities to learn and socialize in a conducive online education environment. Facebook in education curriculum ensures that students are connected, meaningful, as well as relevant to technology. Generally, teachers and student should maintain professionalism in Facebook, so as to enhance respect and online etiquette.
Work cited
D’Agustino, S. Adaptation, Resistance and Access to Instructional Technologies. New York:
Wiley, 2010.
Wheeler, S. Connected Minds, Emerging Cultures: Cyberculture in Online Learning. Chicago:
Chicago Press, 2009.
Zodhiates, P., & Nickerson, R. Technology in Education. London: Springer, 2003.
