Educational Value of Social Media

            Students in the twenty-first century enter classrooms with a different set of tools for learning. School supplies such as paper, pencils, notebooks, and textbooks are being replaced with technology, such as laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks. To keep these students engaged, educators must design their classrooms around technology and prepare interactive lessons using technology. In today’s classrooms, educators and students need technology to connect, create, communicate, and collaborate with each other as well as with the rest of the world online. The tool to develop these skills in the classroom is social media.

            Social media allows students and educators to “be connected.” Shantal Marie Scott explains in her journal article, “being connected refers to one’s level of self-directed access to the wealth of knowledge that exists in the world… outlets to the greater world that foster this connection… are cellular devices, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, YouTube, Linkden or one of the many other applications that exist to connect people with knowledge.”

            Twenty-first century learners view the world from a social perspective, equally for learning and for entertainment. Social media sites provide ways for students to participate, contribute, and collaborate with others around a specific topic. These sites allow others to build communities where information is openly shared and discussed. Social media links also allow students to instantly connect with other people, resources, and sites.

            Even in first grade, students need technology to become interested and stay engaged in their learning process. These digital learners are not afraid to use technology and enjoy using interactive games to learn and review concepts. Websites such as GoNoodle.com create energetic ways for children to exercise their bodies and their brains. For all subject areas, iPad apps can be used to introduce and reinforce basic concepts in fun, interactive ways. WebQuests can be used to teach students about a particular concept while requiring them to investigate, collaborate, communicate, and problem solve.

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            A Nutrition Expedition is a WebQuest designed to teach first graders about healthy eating and healthy living. Through preselected sites, students connect to age appropriate games, videos, and links related to nutrition. WebQuests allow even the youngest students to safely navigate technology while learning curriculum concepts. They also provide a way for parents to connect to what their children are learning.

            Twitter is another form of social media that allows parents of younger children to visualize what is taking place during the school day. Although Twitter can be accessed by anyone, the purpose of my Twitter account is for parents to have access to snippets of the school day. The site provides links related to nutrition, gardening with children, and kid-friendly foods for parents to read and view while reinforcing learning at home. This Twitter account is a way social media provides a way for young learners, educators, and parents to “be connected” inside and outside of our classroom.

References:

Scott, S. M. (2012). Go ahead ... be social: Using social media to enhance the twenty-first century classroom. Distance Learning, 9(2), 54-59. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1034600860?accountid=3783