Listening to Learners in Social MediaJason R. Levine

Your use of social media:personal or professional?

I started teaching online with YouTube.

Teachers in Morocco began chatting about my videos on Facebook.

This led to an invitation to go to Morocco as an English Specialist with the U.S. Department of State.

Sylvia Guinan invited me to co-host a class with her on WizIQ.

I wanted to teach my own course online but I wasn’t sure what to focus on.

I began to actively engage in the FB group, Global English Forum.

I set up a Facebook page to interact with students and teachers.

Benefits of Facebook groups

•Network with students in a safe, public environment•Make FB friends with students•Find out what learners’ needs truly are•Gain learners’ trust•Members receive notifications

Stay in the Kitchen!

Joining Facebook groups

•Research before you join•Find out who the admins are•Consider active vs. inactive groups•Disable email notifications•Add friends who will help you interact there•Look at ‘Suggested Groups’

Listening to learners in Facebook groups

•Keep conversations going•Like and comment often•Ask and answer questions•Paste useful links•Don’t try to sell yourself or your product/service•Accept friendship requests from students

Posting in Facebook groups

•Post great content and interact with members•Don’t try to sell yourself or your product/service•Comment to boost your post to the top of the feed•Like and comment to get your post in more members’ feeds

Being an Admin or Creating a Facebook Group

•You have control over the style and direction of the group•You can schedule events•You can decide who is in and who is out•You can decide if the group is open, closed or secret

I used what I learned from learners on Facebook to launch my first online course.

Teaching on the ground and in the cloud