Social+Media+in+the+Classroom+by+Jenny+Harris



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//A recent topic in education is the use of social media and social networks in the classroom. It is an often debated topic, as many schools have banned the use of social networking and media sites such as Facebook and Twitter from their computers. However, the popularity of such sites cannot be denied, with Facebook being the second most popular internet site on the web just behind Google ([|Walsh], 2012, p. 1). The question that has to be answered is whether the benefits of using social media in educational settings outweigh the risks. //=====

What is social media?
The [|Merriam-Webster Dictionary] defines social media as “forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.” There are a number of tools that can be described as social media and networking applications. Among the most popular are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. However there are also those that are created specifically for education such as Edmodo, Blackboard, TeacherTube, and WikiEducator. [|Emergingedtech.com] defines a social network as it relates to education as “a tool that lets students, parents, and educators collaborate online," but adds that pages and forums should be course-specific and created so that content cannot be seen by everyone.

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Social media is nothing new to those who live in the 21st century. Currently 73 percent of teens use social networking websites, 500 billion minutes per month are spent on Facebook, and 600 messages are sent per minute on Twitter (Ferriter, W.M., 2010, p. 1). The use of social media in the classroom is a growing trend in education; however, educators wishing to utilize the tools are often unable to do so because their schools’ have blocked the use of popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The concerns of many school officials, and in turn the actual issue of using social media in the classroom, are driven by fears of “cyberbullying and inappropriate postings” (Ferriter, 2010, p.2). Let’s take a closer look at both sides of this trend and issue in education below. =====

What are the reasons for opposing social media in the classroom?
Those opposed to the use of social networks want regulation of the tool or for the tool to be barred from the classroom completely. Security risks, privacy, and exposure to inappropriate content are valid concerns. Social media sites have been linked to sexual predators, inappropriate student-teacher relationships, and a myria of other issues. In the article “[|Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom],” Karen Lederer provides a list of issues that critics often site. Among those are that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are a distraction to students in the classroom and disruptive to the learning process. The article “[|Facebook in Classroom, Bad Idea?]” cites that social networking sites were designed for recreational uses such as following friends, celebrities, viewing pictures, chatting, and playing games and opposes them for educational purposes because they do not provide an appropriate context for learning. Bullying and cyberbullying in particular has become a hot topic in education. Cyberbullying is often associated with social media sites and Lederer says that some critics describe social media as a “weapon of malicious behavior,” where students are able to say whatever they want about others with little regulation. While supporters of social media feel that it gives those that are uncomfortable in traditional social settings a chance to express themselves, critics view it as a discourager for face-to-face communication ([|Lederer], 2012, p. 2).

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Proponents of social media in the classroom believe just the opposite. They view social media as an exciting new tool that allows teachers and students to connect in new and different ways when used with appropriate guidelines and privacy settings. Eric Sheninger is the principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey and he has over 12,300 followers on Twitter. He uses the popular social media site to communicate with his students and teachers. Teachers at the school use Facebook and Twitter for polls and quizzes and rather than banning mobile phones in the classroom, they have embraced them as “mobile learning devices.” ([|Toppo], 2011). While critics say that social media discourages communication, proponents feel that it can enhance student interactions, particularly for those students who are too shy to fully participate in class ([|Lederer], 2012, p. 1). =====

Teachers can use the tools to post homework assignments and answer student and parent questions. Kathy Cassidy, a 1st grade teacher in Canada, uses a class blog and a YouTube site to share her students’ work with parents and people across the country. She says that her students enjoy the visual element of using YouTube and that the blogging element helps with their reading and writing skills. Her 1st graders are also paired with university students who act as their writing mentors ([|Brown], 2009, p. 1).

Stacy Kitsis, a high school English teacher turned to social media because of her dilemma with an overwhelming amount of homework to grade and provide feedback on. She decided to experiement with social media and partnered her students together and let them provide each other with direct feedback on homework assignments. The students used a blogging site to complete this task. Katsis reported that her students seemed to put forth more effort knowing that another student was reviewing their work and that communication skills and even courtesy were reinforced. She also found her students to be much more candid when asked to discuss introspective topics related to the literature they were studying. She encountered a few hurdles with technical difficulties and was very cautious about internet security, but the experiment was very successful for her class (Katsis, 2008, 30-36).

Where do we go from here?
As technology in the classroom continues to grow and change, the topic of social media is sure to as well. The need to protect students from inappropriate content and cyberbullying while at school is of utmost importance. However, educators should continue to explore the benefits of social media in the classroom as it may prove to be a valuable learning resource for today’s students.

=In My Opinion =

The topic of social media in the classroom has intrigued me for awhile now. As an avid Facebook user, I am amazed at the way it has changed the way I communicate with friends and family in both positive and negative ways and I wanted to know more about what the affects might be in an educational setting. Since my professional experience is limited, I am not as familiar with the current policies at most schools concerning the use of social media sites but suspected that they would be strict concerning popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

I was excited to find such an array of alternative sites that are designed specifically for educators. Edmodo seems to be one of the most popular, so I signed up for an account and got to know the site a little better. I hope to be able to someday use this particular site with my students. As digital natives my goal is to connect with them in a place where they might be more comfortable and open to sharing ideas. The one point that stuck with me the most on using social media in the classroom is that it is a useful tool, but proceed with caution!

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This is a blog article written for a Canadian news site. The author explores both sides of the issue of social media in the classroom but offers a more i-depth look at the negative sides of sites such as Facebook and Twitter in the classroom.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Bowman, John]. (2009). Facebook in Classrom, Bad Idea? CBC News Website. 8 September 2009. **=====

**<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Ferriter, William M. (2010). Digitally Speaking. Educational Leadership, 68 (4): 1-2. **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This article, written by a 6th grade science teacher, provides some interesting statistics on the use of social media among teens and adults. It also delves further into social media as a trend and gives more information on Principal Eric Sheninger, who has emerged as an early leader in the use of technology and social media in his school.

**<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Kitsis, Stacy. (2008). The Facebook Generation: Homework as Social Networking. The English Journal, 98 (2): 30-36. **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This article is written by a high school English teacher. Kitsis describes her frustrations with the current homework system where students need the practice, but teachers often do not have the time to review and provide feedback on all of their efforts. As an experiment, she decides to use social media, where students can post their homework assignments and have an assigned partner provide feedback. This is an interesting article on some of the positive aspects of social media use in the classroom.

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This article is a blog post written for the Campus Technology magazine website by a professor at Dominican University’s School of Education. The article presents pros and cons of social media in the classroom. It is brief and does a good job presenting both sides of the issue.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Lederer, Karen]. (2012). Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom. Campus Technology Website. 19 January 2012. **=====

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This news article balances both sides of the issue of social media in the classroom well. It is primarily composed of interviews with different school principals who allow social media at their schools and those who are wary of the risks of social media use in the classroom. It also includes the American Library Association’s position on the use of social media.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Toppo, Greg]. (2011). Social Media Find Place in Classroom. USA Today. 25 July 2011. **=====

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">EmergingEdTech.com is a blog that explores the use of technology in the classroom, written by Kelly Walsh, the CIO at The College of Westchester in White Plain, New York. This particular blog post is one of their most popular on the website as it explores the benefits and risks of using popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube within the classroom. Walsh also provides several specific examples of teachers using social media in the classroom. This is a quick, informative read and a good overview of the trend and issue of using social media in the classroom.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Walsh, Kelly]. (2011). Facebook in the Classroom. Seriously. EmergingEdTech Website. 27 March 2011. **