BP5 Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups:

While it may seem odd that I’m choosing to write about Facebook for my second Web 2.0 tool, I need to explain that before this class I had no experience with it at all. Last week when researching some Web 2.0 tools, I thought about researching how well Facebook would work for my action research project. I delved into my recently revived Facebook page and learned the steps to create a group. At this point, I decided it was something I would put off writing about because I had no members and nothing to post. On a whim, I still created the group entitled Healy Youth Group (which was the name of the old youth group I ran in Alaska that we left this summer when we moved to Colorado). Within hours, I had three people already request to join. It was then that I decided Facebook was absolutely the way for me to go with my action research project. I was amazed at the immediate response that I got with Facebook and realized that I needed to post some content. This was when I started researching what adding a group can do.

On my group’s page, there are six tabs at the top of the page. I plan to use the Wall to share the start of new discussions and have fun conversation with my past youth group members. The Info page contains basic contact information for me and will contain information about my action research project. The Discussions page is where I’ll set up discussions for the kids to discuss and reflect on. The photos page is a place that students can upload photos that either correspond to discussions, photos of us in past youth group participation, or current photos. The page is marked as private so students can feel safe uploading photos knowing that only members will see the photos. The Videos tab will be used for any videos youth or I choose to upload with relevancy to the discussions. I’m not sure if it’s going to be easier to embed the videos directly into the discussion or place them in the Videos tab but I’ll probably use the Videos tab as more of a video archive. I’m not sure how or if I’ll use the Events tab but it could be used to post different youth ministry events and concerts that are happening around the country that kids might be able to go to.

I’m really excited to get my action research project going and already have one student checking the page regularly and carrying out discussions with me. I’m keeping data on everything so far and plan to see how many students request to join without me advertising it at all. Thanks for the opportunity to research these Web 2.0 tools, especially those that are going to be useful for our action research projects. I’m VERY excited about the implications of this in youth ministry and in my teaching career once I get back into the classroom next year!