To begin, why are teachers saying that we should use Social Media in the classroom? According to an article on Faculty Focus, a reason to like Social Media use in the classroom is because "gone are the days when “turning in” work meant waiting until Monday morning, as students and teachers can now discuss assignments at every step of the process. Teachers can create hashtags that allow students to tag their academic posts, and subsequently view submissions to see what the collective has creatively produced. (2)." This is something that's done in our TechLab classroom. As students in this classroom, we had to create our own professional Twitter Handle and use a hashtag for our class.
Another reason teachers should use Social Media in their classrooms is stated in an article on Mashable. The article lists 7 was to use Social Media: to share work socially by using Social Media accounts to communicate information between fellow classmates and students from around the world, to use a hashtag to communicate to guest speakers and seek their input, to become a blogger to develop one's voice as a writer and keep up with like-bloggers, to use expert sources by knowing where to find them like on LinkedIn, to use Google Hangouts for class and/or peer-to-peer meetings to engage in work, make use of Emodo to create a digital classroom for students to see assignments and communicate, and even encourage a class meetings through Second Life, which is a 3D virtual world (1). All of these ideas are intended to connect students in more ways than just sitting in the same classroom. According to these first two sites, classes shouldn't be limited by a physical space. Social Media gives teachers and students an ever present medium to work in.
Another Mashable article that gives the case for Social Media in the classroom quotes why teachers should simply roll with the idea of social media in the classroom. The quote says,
"“Don’t fight a losing battle,” says Delmatoff. “We’re going to get there anyway, so it’s better to be on the cutting edge, and be moving with the kids, rather than moving against them…Should they be texting their friends during a lecture? Of course not. They shouldn’t be playing cards in a lecture, they shouldn’t be taking a nap during a lecture. But should they learn how to use media for good? Absolutely.” (3)"
The writer of the article's point is that Social Media isn't going away. Noted in the same article that most students in 7th grade through 12th grade have at least one social media account. The author states that if Social Media isn't going away, then it should be used in the classroom. The author also believes that Social Media should be taught in a way that explains how it can be used properly to engage learners in safe, online environments that encourage collaboration amongst a variety of students. According to the author, bringing Social Media into the classroom will encourage Social Media to be used as an educational tool instead of being used for procrastination purposes.
After that view on the issue, let's hear from the other side. Why are teachers saying that we should NOT use Social Media in the classroom? One teacher who was an avid promoter of students using their laptops, cellphones, and other devices in class, went to a totally opposite view and banned all usage of these devices unless they were required. He chose to do this because he believes that "humans are incapable of ignoring surprising new information in our
visual field, an effect that is strongest when the visual cue is
slightly above and beside the area we’re focusing on (10)." The author doesn't believe that the multitasking that's required to focus on social media is beneficial to student learning. He believes it can be too distracting.
Andrew Campbell makes a case against social media in education. He notes that, "currently, social media is a ‘wild west’ where the landscape changes daily and the rules are poorly defined, misunderstood or non-existent. This isn’t the kind of environment parents want their children using (9)." In addition to Campbell dislike toward how Social Media is filled with cyberbullying, predators, and distractions for young students, he states 4 other reasons why he's against Social Media in Education. One of those reasons is that students use Social Media as the primary avenue for self definition. If parents and schools are getting too involved in a child's social media, then it will interrupt a child's area to express and define themselves. The next reason is that schools can't implement Social Media into the classrooms until schools are properly equipped with the resources it needs. Campbell also thinks that not every student will be comfortable communicating in a setting that is primarily through online communication. Lastly, Campbell believe Social Media is too much of a distraction. Some students, Campbell believes, will not be able to ignore the temptations and sitractions that come with having mass amount of data and people at one's fingertips. To properly use Social Media in the classroom, there needs to be more information how to accommodate the needs of many different children in relation to Social Media.
A last point on why Social Media should not be used in the classroom comes from US News. They report that, "although many teachers agree using social media in the classroom would be beneficial for students' academic engagement, most avoid using those tools for a fear of conflicts that could arise in confrontations with parents and students (5)." The article talk about how many teachers believed that they haven't been taught how to use Social Media for professional use. They fear that it would be harder to separate personal use of Social Media with their professional use. The main reason Social Media shouldn't be used is because of the unfamiliarity of its use for the classroom. The guidelines aren't clear enough and, until they are, the integration of Social Media in the classroom will not happen easily and without troubles.
Andrew Campbell makes a case against social media in education. He notes that, "currently, social media is a ‘wild west’ where the landscape changes daily and the rules are poorly defined, misunderstood or non-existent. This isn’t the kind of environment parents want their children using (9)." In addition to Campbell dislike toward how Social Media is filled with cyberbullying, predators, and distractions for young students, he states 4 other reasons why he's against Social Media in Education. One of those reasons is that students use Social Media as the primary avenue for self definition. If parents and schools are getting too involved in a child's social media, then it will interrupt a child's area to express and define themselves. The next reason is that schools can't implement Social Media into the classrooms until schools are properly equipped with the resources it needs. Campbell also thinks that not every student will be comfortable communicating in a setting that is primarily through online communication. Lastly, Campbell believe Social Media is too much of a distraction. Some students, Campbell believes, will not be able to ignore the temptations and sitractions that come with having mass amount of data and people at one's fingertips. To properly use Social Media in the classroom, there needs to be more information how to accommodate the needs of many different children in relation to Social Media.
A last point on why Social Media should not be used in the classroom comes from US News. They report that, "although many teachers agree using social media in the classroom would be beneficial for students' academic engagement, most avoid using those tools for a fear of conflicts that could arise in confrontations with parents and students (5)." The article talk about how many teachers believed that they haven't been taught how to use Social Media for professional use. They fear that it would be harder to separate personal use of Social Media with their professional use. The main reason Social Media shouldn't be used is because of the unfamiliarity of its use for the classroom. The guidelines aren't clear enough and, until they are, the integration of Social Media in the classroom will not happen easily and without troubles.
I believe that there's a difference between being in constant use of social media and using it as an additional resources that enhances content as well as its relevance to students. Those who disagree with the use of Social Media in the classroom believe that students would be too distracted. I agree with this. However, I don't agree that it means that teachers should try to integrate Social Media into the classroom for educational enhancements. I think that Mashable's seven ways to use Social Media in the classroom really show how students can use an online setting for educational purposes. An educator that I've followed on Twitter for at least 2 years or so, Krissy Venosdale, is an inspiration in the use of technology in the
classroom with her students. She does at least one of Mashable's seven ways. She uses skype to communicate with classroom across the world. It's like the classrooms are pen pals, but in real-life time.
In the end I think the real issue of having Social Media in the classroom is how can teachers utilize both online and offline times for educational purposes? I believe that finding was to enjoy and learn from being online, like what Krissy Venosdale does, and offline, what we're used to, is important. It's like a book we just discussed in Elem. Ed. Practicum. It was the book without pictures. A book without pictures doesn't have to be boring. A classroom without social media doesn't have to be boring. However, there are times and places where books with pictures have their place and can be just as exciting. A classroom with social media is just a new way to enhance learning just like a picture book. Finding the right place for a classroom to have social media and other technologies is a balance. When teachers have found that balance, it will benefit students in their learning both online and offline.
In the end I think the real issue of having Social Media in the classroom is how can teachers utilize both online and offline times for educational purposes? I believe that finding was to enjoy and learn from being online, like what Krissy Venosdale does, and offline, what we're used to, is important. It's like a book we just discussed in Elem. Ed. Practicum. It was the book without pictures. A book without pictures doesn't have to be boring. A classroom without social media doesn't have to be boring. However, there are times and places where books with pictures have their place and can be just as exciting. A classroom with social media is just a new way to enhance learning just like a picture book. Finding the right place for a classroom to have social media and other technologies is a balance. When teachers have found that balance, it will benefit students in their learning both online and offline.
My only concern with using Social Media in the classroom is knowing what age is best to use these tools. Most of these websites assume that this issue is for older students like those in high school and college. As an eventual Elementary Education teacher, I want to know the use of social media for Elementary aged students especially if these students may not be on social media because they're under 13 years old. Edutopia has a great list of ways to use Social Media for the Elementary school setting (11). As long as it's being used as an educational enhancement, Social Media will benefit student's learning and slowly out weigh the unwilling views.
Sources:
(1) 7 ways to use social media and what it does: http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/social-media-teachers/
(2) Things to like about using Social Media in the classroom: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/using-social-media-classroom/
(3) A case for the use of Social Media in the Classroom: http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/
(4) Two Teacher's views on Social Media in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/
(5) The gray area for using social media in the classroom: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/17/check-out-that-selfie-how-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom
(4) Two Teacher's views on Social Media in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/
(5) The gray area for using social media in the classroom: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/17/check-out-that-selfie-how-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom
(6) Using Social Media in the classroom opinions: http://www.cio.com/article/2604686/social-media/is-social-media-reviving-or-killing-our-classrooms.html
(7) Pros & Cons of Social Media: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx
(8) More Pros & Cons: http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/6-pros-cons-social-media-classroom/
(9) A case against Social Media in the Classroom: http://andrewscampbell.com/2013/04/27/the-case-against-social-media-in-education-2/
(7) Pros & Cons of Social Media: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx
(8) More Pros & Cons: http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/6-pros-cons-social-media-classroom/
(9) A case against Social Media in the Classroom: http://andrewscampbell.com/2013/04/27/the-case-against-social-media-in-education-2/
(10) A "‘banned unless required’" approach: https://medium.com/@cshirky/why-i-just-asked-my-students-to-put-their-laptops-away-7f5f7c50f368
(11) A view of using Social Media in the Elementary School setting: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland
Nice representation of both sides.
ReplyDelete