Research: Social Media for the Classroom

Social Media for the Classroom

Social media is an outlet for students to communicate with peers and others in a non-threatening environment. It doesn’t matter what a student is wearing, what their hair looks like, or if they have a huge pimple on their nose. Social media offers students a place to go without physically going anywhere. There are choices. Questions can be quickly asked and answered without pressure. There is freedom to be casual or formal. There is interest. This is the environment teachers dream of having in their classrooms, and many teachers are achieving exactly that by embracing social media.

Social media can be defined as a group of internet-based tools that allow users to create and exchange content online (McArthur and Bostedo-Conway, 2012). The impact of social media on communication in education is dramatic, leading educators at all levels to consider integrating various forms of social media into classroom settings. This takes careful consideration. Not all sites are appropriate for classroom use; some sites allow too much freedom with no direction. Twitter, however, has gained a loyal following of educators.

Twitter offers a vehicle to engage with many students at once. This one-to-many (or many-to-many) communication channel may offer [teachers] an opportunity to efficiently contact and create learning opportunities for many students at once (McArthur and Bostedo-Conway, 2012). Twitter also provides a way for teachers to create a real-time connection among parents, students, the classroom, and the teacher. Tweeting can occur in class with students, by students. Twitter requires a tweet to fall within the range of 140 or fewer characters, requiring students to edit and revise. This process is enjoyable instead of dreadful because students are writing about real things with a real audience in mind (Kurtz, 2009). When students are motivated and enjoying a process, learning occurs. Early adopters of Twitter for classroom use have documented increased class participation, decreased student shyness, increased writing skills, enhanced discussions and increased engagement (McArthur and Bostedo-Conway, 2012).

Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) are categorized as ‘social media’ yet have a larger purpose than socializing. PLNs provide instant access to information and connections to thousands of individuals with an array of expertise (Trust, 2012). PLNs are transforming professional development and learning opportunities for teachers. Teachers must grow with the changes they face; PLNs are place for teachers to acquire the information and skills necessary to meet students’ needs.

PLNs allow a community of teachers to post questions and answers as well as content information and lessons. PLNs are organized into subject communities. Subject communities include Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Health and PE, World Languages, Computer Technology, Career and Tech Ed, College Readiness, Creative Arts, Special Education, and Professional Development. Teachers who are able to manage the information overload of a PLN will gain instant access to support, new ideas, feedback, collaboration opportunities, and conversations focused on practical solutions (Trust, 2012).

There are several PLNs to choose from, including The Educator’s PLN, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, Ning.com, and Edmodo. The Educator’s PLN is member-focused; its main page features uploads and posts from members. RSS feeds are a way for teachers to follow multiple Web sites and news sources on one page. Teachers can opt for information/feeds they follow to be e-mailed to them. Ning.com provides a fully developed social networking space (for a fee) with various tools and features, including chat rooms, discussion boards, profile pages for members, interest groups, video and photo upload capabilities, and widgets that allow individual members to customize their profile pages. Edmodo is similar to Ning.com in the features it offers, but it is unique in that it allows teachers to create groups for their classes. It resembles Facebook, except it is for a class. The teacher is in control of everything that is posted. This is a beneficial feature for classroom communication.

With smartphones, tablets, personal computers and WIFI, social media provides many opportunities for professional growth. Teachers are responsible for their media literacy. The new media literacies (NMLs) are a set of social skills and cultural competencies that students and teachers need to acquire in order to fully participate in this new media environment (Reilly, 2011). In our rapidly shifting digital and social landscape, it is the teacher’s responsibility to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to have meaningful participation in social media arenas. If a teacher doesn’t have the skills and knowledge, the students will not be provided with the opportunities to grow and learn. However, when a teacher integrates the NMLs across the curriculum, both teachers and students gain the ability to make and reflect upon media, acquire important skills in teamwork, leadership, problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming, communication, and creativity (Reilly, 2011).

Part of the challenge of being a teacher is working in a challenging, ever-changing environment. Social media monopolizes many of the current challenges. Successful teachers endure the vulnerability of being a learner and take risks to provide the most effective instruction for their students (Trust, 2012). When given the opportunity to learn and grow with their practice, authentic learning can occur—learning that feels relevant to students’ realities and interests. Right now, students are immersed in social media. Successful teachers will be those that harness all of the benefits of social media in their classrooms on a daily basis.



References

Kurtz, J. (2009). Twittering About Learning: Using Twitter in an Elementary School Classroom. The Journal of the Coalition of Essential Schools, 25(1), 1-4. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Education Resources Information Center database.

McArthur, J. A., & Bostedo-Conway, K. (2012). Exploring the Relationship Between Student-Instructor Interaction on Twitter and Student Perceptions of Teachers Behaviors. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 24(3), 286-292. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the ERIC database.

Reilly, E. (2011). Participatory Learning Environments and Collective Meaning Making Practice. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 3(1), 6-7. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Education Resources Information Center database.

Trust, T. (2012). Professional Learning Networks Designed for Teacher Learning. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(4), 133-138. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Education Resources Information Center database.