The Responsible use of Social Media
The new generation of students is growing up surrounded by technology and social media. They are living in an ever connected world where they can get almost anything instantly. Though technology and ways of learning have always been changing, today it seems like technology and now social media are changing faster than we can keep up. It is evident that educators need to reevaluate the use of technology and social media in the classroom in order to create a better learning environment.
Even close to a hundred years ago inventors and educators were trying to stay ahead of technology. The New York times published a timeline of technology in the classroom through out times. In 1925 a Filmstrip Projector was invented and Thomas Edison was quoted saying that "books will soon be obsolete in schools." 92 years ago innovators were predicting the vast amount of technology we will have in the future. Now that we are here we need to take advantage of these opportunities and use them to the best of our abilities in the classroom.
Teachers in various High Schools have begun using different social media outlets to submit homework assignments and engage students outside of the classroom. The Washington Post address this new trend happening across High Schools in Virginia and the need for new Internet rules in the schools. The Virginia state board is trying to address issues with teachers using social media with students in various ways. The have noticed that social media can be an amazing tool for teachers to use, but it can also cause many problems when it is misused. One teacher in the article had her students create twitter conversations. On twitter there are a limited number of characters, so students responses had to short and concise a skill often needed in "the real world."
However, School Boards are also finding that not only students but some teachers are using social media to create inappropriate relationships with students. When acts like these occur, the good is overlooked and instead people focus on the bad. Instead of seeing how students are connecting with each other and creating dialog outside of the classroom, the school board is focusing on teachers dating students and sexual harassment being caused by social media.
When teachers and their students use the Internet and social media responsibly, amazing learning tools can be created. One teacher from Fairfax County in Northern Virginia created a blog with lessons and ideas on different ways to teach history and technology and Internet connections to use in the lessons. Classrooms greatly benefit from the use of social media. Sites like Edmodo, Wikispaces Classroom, and Edublogs are interactive for both students and parents but are still in a safe environment. Students can use these tools to become more engaged in learning and connected with other students. In theses sites students can write about what they are learning and respond to other students, creating conversations and sparking ideas outside of the classroom.
The following video describes the "new classroom." Classrooms today have greatly changed compared to years ago. Students communicate differently, are able to get more information instantly and will constantly be on social media. If educators are not able to use technology properly in the classroom, students will never be able to learn how to use different technological tools properly and responsibly to further their career. The video brings up very important questions that we as educators need to address in order to create a better learning environment for students that is "up with the times."
References
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