Social media can allow teachers to connect their classroom with a greater audience. Passively, blogs, feeds, and other posts can be used to provide links, resources, reminders and updates about what is happening in the classroom. The local and even the global community can be brought into the classroom in a more active manner. By connecting with other classrooms (e.g. 21st century pen-pals, the Global Read Aloud project), taking a virtual field trip (e.g. video conferencing with the Royal Botanical Gardens, guest speakers) or a collaborative project with another school, students can participant in real world experiences that may have previously been impossible to achieve.
Through social media, the classroom structure as we know it can be ‘flipped’ entirely. When students are able to gather important information (e.g. through videos, webpages) and discuss with each other via forums before coming to class, classroom time can be used to apply these ideas and to complete projects and assignments.
Classrooms that integrate technology and media can also provide students with increased autonomy. Student-run media (blogs, podcasts, videos, etc.) allow students to share their own interests, thoughts and ideas with the world. Whether for academic or personal content, these tools give students the ability to navigate digital environments and to learn to use them appropriately.
With that said, as more students use different forms of media in their daily lives, the concept of digital citizenship becomes increasingly important. Issues of privacy, cyberbullying, and negative online interactions are topics that students need to learn about before they are exposed to the world wide web. While today’s students may be more adept at technology than previous generations, they do not learn about these ideas inherently. By integrating social media into the classroom, teachers can model and teach about the uses of web 2.0 tools, and guide students through their own journeys with them.
Through social media, the classroom structure as we know it can be ‘flipped’ entirely. When students are able to gather important information (e.g. through videos, webpages) and discuss with each other via forums before coming to class, classroom time can be used to apply these ideas and to complete projects and assignments.
Classrooms that integrate technology and media can also provide students with increased autonomy. Student-run media (blogs, podcasts, videos, etc.) allow students to share their own interests, thoughts and ideas with the world. Whether for academic or personal content, these tools give students the ability to navigate digital environments and to learn to use them appropriately.
With that said, as more students use different forms of media in their daily lives, the concept of digital citizenship becomes increasingly important. Issues of privacy, cyberbullying, and negative online interactions are topics that students need to learn about before they are exposed to the world wide web. While today’s students may be more adept at technology than previous generations, they do not learn about these ideas inherently. By integrating social media into the classroom, teachers can model and teach about the uses of web 2.0 tools, and guide students through their own journeys with them.
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