Social media in the classroom

It is definitely important and necessary to integrate social media into classrooms especially with todays generation. Kids from the age of 5 years old already know how to play games on tablets and cell phones. Students will connect and concentrate their attention on what is being done in class if the teacher uses social media and technology. Social media platforms also enable many engaging classroom activities. Studies suggest that approximately 70% of all organizations engage in structured collaboration using online social learning tool such as blogs, wikis and podcasts.

Facebook:

• Interwine class projects with Facebook by sharing book reviews, polling your class and promoting student work.
• Improve communication by allowing students to easily message teachers and other students with questions.
• Make a Facebook page for your class where you can schedule events, post notes and remind students of assignment due dates.

Twitter:

• Post supplementary materials like links to articles and videos so students can continue learning even when class is over.
• Track hash tags, memes and current events by setting up specific feeds the entire class can monitor.

YouTube:

• Record your lessons and post them on YouTube so students can review them whenever they want.
• Search for on-topic videos that you can use in the classroom to bring lessons to life, making them more memorable.

Blogs:

• Create a class blog so students can stay up-to-date on upcoming projects, due dates, events and other reminders.
• Post daily or weekly homework assignments on the blog so students who were absent can know what the missed.
• Publish student work on the blog, or have students set up their own blogs as online portfolios.