5-4 Social Networking

Social media in schools is a big topic in education right now. Many schools currently ask students to unplug when they arrive, turn off or hide all devices and avoid checking them. However, this doesn't match our students lifestyles outside of school, where they are always connected.

Concerns

• Students spend too much time on screens and lose the ability to handle face to face interactions.

Pros

• Easier to share information globally
• Easier to collaborate with people in a different area of the world
• Video game like tasks provide feedback and data to students on how they are doing, while providing another way for teachers to gather formative assessment on students
• Quicker and easier to stay in touch with students

Cons

• Not all teachers are up to date on the new methods of social media, or comfortable using social media
• Online bullying is a concern of parents and teachers when social media is introduced to school.
• Teachers need to stay on top of social media platforms and continually use them for students to get the most out of them.

References:

Pandolfo, N. (April 30, 2012). Social media and video games in classrooms can yield valuable data for teachers. Huffington Post Education. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/social-media-and-video-ga_n_1465082.html

Glenn, D. (Feb. 7, 2012). How well are schools using social media. Social Times. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/how-well-are-schools-using-social-media-infographic/90209?red=st