Effective use of the Facebook social network in educational work
The programmatic area of family and consumer sciences is a non -formal preventive educational program that uses a scientific basis for the application of basic life skills. The program responds to the social, economic and environmental needs facing the Puerto Rican family. The goal of the family and consumer science professional is to improve quality of life in the individual, the family and the community (Kato, 2015). To achieve this goal, the family and consumer science professional uses the information dissemination process through practical courses, workshops, individual orientation to families, special projects, circular letters, press articles, radio and television programs,among others. Is it effective to use social networks to educate and carry out the work of this professional?
Social networks are a set of virtual communities where users have the possibility of creating profiles with personal information and interacting with other people. Among social networks is Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. This social network was originally limited to students from Harvard University in the United States, but then extended its use to some 2,000 universities in the United States and students from secondary schools. With the passing of the years Facebook opened its network to a general public reaching 22 million users for August 2007 number that increases every day (Roldán, 2015). According to its own statistics, Facebook has 1 in 2019.32 billion active users per day.
A number of research supports the effectiveness of using social networks to educate. Iglesias and González (2014) investigated the social network Facebook as a work tool from the educational context. The results indicate that there is an improvement in the teaching -learning process when this social network is used to learn the subjects. In addition to its great useful to share materials, practices and solve doubts within a context of collaborative learning. The university students surveyed by Iglesias and González (2014) endorsed the use of Facebook as a tool to learn educational subjects.
According to the United Nations Educational, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), the information presented by the media must be accessible to women and marginalized groups. The Family and Consumer Sciences Program on its educational and philosophical platform teaches practical education based on a scientific basis that meets and promotes this UNESCO indicator. His educational practice develops under the philosophy of education for a lifetime (Lifelong Learning) that covers and transcends the stages of development of the individual, his family and his community environment.
The philosophical platform of this professional around education for life (Lifelong Learning) constitutes an excellent opportunity to use social networks. This, given the individual’s need to receive continuing education in their development stages beyond the formal education that is received in institutions. Education for a lifetime is broken down into six main groups: formal, self-directed, professional, personal, indirect, and informal or free.
Through the study: WhatsApp and Facebook as pedagogical mediation in occupational socio -orientation processes, authors Lafaurie, Sinning & Valencia (2018) analyzed the potential that social networks exercise in pedagogical mediation specifically in the processes of occupational socio -orientation to studentsBaccalaureate. The research processes were developed in a public educational institution in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia for six months. The study was attended by the institution’s counselor and 22 students of grade 11 between the ages of 16 to 18 years. Among the findings, it is evident that social networks create a participatory learning environment and new forms of interaction. It was observed that the pairs offered support and guidance to their peers transcending the traditional way in which guidance processes are carried out in educational institutions.
It is concluded that the effective use of the Facebook social network in the educational work of the Professional of Family and Consumer Sciences is an excellent means of teaching, facilitates learning, allows the development of creative thinking, collaborative work and self-learning. The use of social networks continues to transcend the times and spaces allowing education to be more liberating and according to the individual needs of each person.
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