Why is Social Media Important for Teachers? How Can it be Used Effectively in
the Classroom?
It is important for teachers to understand social media, as well as the positive and negative benefts associated with it in order to be effective in the classroom. Social media is not going away so teachers need to understand, learn how to adapt and finally incorporate social media and technology in their lessons in the most effective way.
Some of the main concerns and issues that teachers should be aware of with regards to social media use and their students are as follows; firstly in the classroom when students are using their person devices one of the main concerns is that they will be using class time to "play" on their computer instead of doing work. Another potential problem that may arise in the classroom would be the issue of privacy. When posting information on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, students and parents are often concerned about having pictures or information about themselves/their children online. Generally, this fear comes from lack of knowledge and understanding about how the social media will be used. In the school setting, names are generally not used for social media and only appropriate, positive posts are made. Finally, another potential issue that can occur with students when they are actively using social media sites is one of cyberbullying. It is important to set boundaries, limits and to remind students what is and is not acceptable when using social media in the classroom in order to address the bullying issue. Any problem that might come up would need to be addressed immediately.
Social media can in fact be a very positive addition to the classroom setting when used effectively. Students already actively participate in sites like Facebook and Twitter so why not use them in the classroom to educate? Class Twitter and Facebook sites can be set up to use to communicate with students and their parents. Assignments can be posted and discussions can be set up to help each other with questions they might have. Furthermore, social media sites can be used to connect students to volunteering events, sporting opportunities and keep them actively involved in the community. Some argue that social media sites can also help students to develop an identity, for example when creating their profiles. Also, when teachers are familiar with social media sites they can use them in creative ways to engage students in new ways of learning. The possibilities are endless.
Some of the main concerns and issues that teachers should be aware of with regards to social media use and their students are as follows; firstly in the classroom when students are using their person devices one of the main concerns is that they will be using class time to "play" on their computer instead of doing work. Another potential problem that may arise in the classroom would be the issue of privacy. When posting information on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, students and parents are often concerned about having pictures or information about themselves/their children online. Generally, this fear comes from lack of knowledge and understanding about how the social media will be used. In the school setting, names are generally not used for social media and only appropriate, positive posts are made. Finally, another potential issue that can occur with students when they are actively using social media sites is one of cyberbullying. It is important to set boundaries, limits and to remind students what is and is not acceptable when using social media in the classroom in order to address the bullying issue. Any problem that might come up would need to be addressed immediately.
Social media can in fact be a very positive addition to the classroom setting when used effectively. Students already actively participate in sites like Facebook and Twitter so why not use them in the classroom to educate? Class Twitter and Facebook sites can be set up to use to communicate with students and their parents. Assignments can be posted and discussions can be set up to help each other with questions they might have. Furthermore, social media sites can be used to connect students to volunteering events, sporting opportunities and keep them actively involved in the community. Some argue that social media sites can also help students to develop an identity, for example when creating their profiles. Also, when teachers are familiar with social media sites they can use them in creative ways to engage students in new ways of learning. The possibilities are endless.