Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Social Media in Education?
Should Twitter or other social media websites be used in the classroom? What are the benefits of educators having a Twitter account? What lines should teachers draw while using social media in the class? These are a few of the questions that were discussed in the four articles: "13 Great Twitter Chats Every Educator Should Check Out", "Using Twitter to Break Down Classroom Isolation", "Teachers, Students, and Social Media: Where is the Line?", and "Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching?"
Before I began reading these articles about Twitter and other social media websites, I would have to say that I had a negative view on Twitter. I thought of it as just another social media option. As I kept reading the articles, my opinions slowly began to change. One argument that was made in "Using Twitter to Break Down Classroom Isolation" and "Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching?", was the fact that Twitter is helpful because it is quick and easy. Since the posts are a maximum of 140 characters, teachers can get information quickly and concisely. This would be extremely beneficial because I know that as a teacher I will already be busy and pressed for time, so it would be hard for me to get insight and information through reading blogs (which are longer). These articles made me believe that social media in the classroom could be very beneficial for my future students. The term "social media" doesn't always have to have a negative connotation to it. There definitely needs to be boundaries established when it is being used, but teachers can also use it to model to their students how to build a positive digital fingerprint.
One of the pros of using social media in the classroom is that it can keep the students more engaged while learning. It is also a quick way for students/teachers to gather information about each other and current issues in the news. Teachers can use it to stay connected to other teachers and gain support from them as well. One con of using social media in the classroom is not managing it correctly. If the teacher doesn't set boundaries and guidelines for the students, then using social media could be more harmful than beneficial. It could also be a con if social media becomes overused in the classroom and takes the place of face to face discussion or pencil and paper exercises.
When I use social media in my classroom I will use it for the students to become more connected to one another. I will also use it to post thought provoking questions at the end of the day that they can respond to as homework. I will definitely use it so that I can get support from other educators during my first few years of teaching. Social media can be beneficial to educators and students as long as it is used correctly.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/09/23/13-twitter-chats-for-educators.aspx
https://suite.io/david-r-wetzel/1kg320x
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/09/facebook-teachers-twitter-students-schools/7472051/
http://www.nea.org/home/32641.htm
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Meredith,
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understood, you think social networking through websites such as Twitter is beneficial, but more so for teachers. I agree with you that it allows teachers to quickly collaborate with other teachers and that it will save us time with seeking help when we need it, but as a fellow teacher candidate who wants to teach children in elementary schools, I'm having a hard time begin convinced that I should let my first graders use Twitter just so that I can ask them questions to stimulate their minds. I think that the introduction of social media should be delayed until students are older.
Yes! It keeps students engaged! Because the media is now all around us, we have to keep students attention some how! It is also an inevitable future for our students who, like you said, will need to make their own digital imprint. Depending on the grade level, different digital media is probably more beneficial. But like you, I was not a fan of Twitter until now. Twitter is going to be one of those "can't do without" resources in the future. It helps us collaborate over distances, quickly, and efficiently. No fluff with that character limit!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do like to read teacher blogs in my free time, if I am pressed for time, Twitter can absolutely be more useful. Social media will be out first year teaching crutch, I am sure of it.