Using
Social Media in the Classroom
More and more teachers are using social
media to connect, interact, and engage with the students in real-time. Social
media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and such similar ones
provide an engaging way to learning.
In this article, we will take a look at how
teachers can use some of the social media to enhance and encourage learning at
the highest level in their classroom.
Facebook
Facebook remains the most popular social
channel with over two billion users. Facebook is also a great way to cover
topical discussions in many subjects especially sociology, psychology, and
history. Lecturers can also create private groups for discussion, ideas sharing
and project coordination.
Twitter
Twitter is an excellent place for students
and lecturers to follow experts and interesting organizations and leading
industry figures around the world.
Teachers should consider creating a class hashtag or a group to spread
the word and keep talks focused on a specific topic. This would motivate
students to engage in class discussions and perhaps even do some projects
together. Twitter can also be used for promoting a class blog and announcing
news. The point is just to keep it casual so nobody would feel as if they were
supervised through their private channels.
Instagram
Instagram is very popular with the younger
generation and is visually focused – great for creative and artistic subjects
such as art, design, fashion, and architecture. This can be a great place for
students to create a digital portfolio that is easily shareable. Similarly to
Twitter, students and lecturers can follow accounts of interest to gather
inspiration or provide a talking point for a class or seminar.
Pinterest
Another visual channel, Pinterest acts as a
virtual pinboard where teachers, lecturers or students can gather ‘Pins’ on a
specific topic or theme. Similarly to Twitter, Pinterest can be used for
research or used as a portfolio or a place to showcase a project visually. Just
like Instagram, Pinterest is great for creative subjects and can be an
excellent source of inspiration for graphic design or fashion students.
Addressing the potential pitfalls
By very nature of the fact that most social
media is unregulated or uncensored, it is advisable to set expectations with
students about their usage of social media for study. Thorough research is
needed by teaching staff before recommending or suggesting accounts to follow
for educational purposes. Students must also be coached in exercising the right
etiquette and safe behavior online, including reporting inappropriate content
or behavior including cyberbullying, for which the education institution will
no doubt already have a policy in place.
Benefits of social media in the
classroom
Strategic integration of social media into
classroom activities can bring a double gain - students are more enthusiastic
about learning and the teachers find their jobs much more comfortable.
By using any combination of these social
media network, lecturers can easily make and share videos and other content,
facilitate increased peer to peer discussion, enhance student collaboration,
promote creativity and shared responsibility – all great skills for today and
life after study!
Students who otherwise feel a bit awkward
to open up in classes interact freely over social media. They even come to know
of various issues that are rarely discussed in classes that add on to their
knowledge.
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