Social Media in Education

 There is no doubt that social media, and the various platforms it is comprised of, is taking the internet and the way we communicate down an entirely new path. It is no wonder that is it becoming more and more prevalent in all walks of life.

 As a self proclaimed Social Media Diva, it seemed natural to me, as I took a more active role in the Social Media content for Blueprint Education that I would simply continue to engage the way I naturally do in various ways, until I found that education professionals and administrators have not embraced social media the way so many other individuals and professions have.

 The most prominent conversation that I see is “Where does Social Media fit into Education?” It surprises me, because since I am so immersed into Social Media and the web, I can see the benefit for everyone; no matter what field they are involved in, which platform they are interested in using or what their intended use for it is.

 The most common use of Social Media I see in education is the creation of Personal Learning Networks (or PLN’s) on Twitter for teachers and administrators. What a wonderful way to grow a group of colleagues from around the world to use as sounding boards, or to learn new teaching techniques. With the emergence of social media, teachers and administrators now have instant access to this support system, instead of having to wait for district or union events where they could mingle and network. A simple search for the subject “edchat” on twitter will bring up rich conversations on various topics that are of interest to educators.

However, districts, schools, administrators and teachers should also be able to see the value of not just using their webpage for a venue to release school information, schedules and reminders. Facebook and Twitter are tools they can start to embrace as platforms to stay connected to parents. Some teachers are starting to use Facebook by creating pages for their classroom as a tool for reminding students of assignments, or giving extra information that may not have been included in a lecture. There is a repository of information out there that can enhance any education, including sites like Kahn Academy, which included video lessons on everything from Algebra topics to Physics lessons.

Many educators resist the move toward using Social Media as a classroom tool, worried that it may blur the lines of authority between teacher and student. While this is a valid concern, it should by no means stop a teacher or administrator from moving ahead. There are ways to use various platforms in ways that still maintains the teacher’s personal privacy. Personally, I believe using Social Media as a classroom tool can also impart valuable lessons on personal responsibility in the online community. Many students don’t realize the things they post online now will always be out there, regardless of if they delete them. In the same way they need to be respectful and responsible in a classroom, they also need to learn that the same respect and responsibility is needed in the Social Media arena.

I am excited to see the ways educators and administrators begin to embrace the various social media tools available to them.