Teaching+With+Social+Media

Using Social Media to Create an Effective Learning Experience
If social media is prevalent in the lives of students, and affects the minds of students, what can teachers do to teach more effectively? Instead of avoiding or ignoring the world of social media, teachers can embrace it into their classrooms.

Edu-tastic provides a series of case studies where social media was incorporated into the classroom. Here are some examples:
 * As many social media sites operate in real-time, students can search for breaking news and the most recent comments about the news.
 * Schools can create Facebook pages to share student projects with the world. Other students can view videos or pictures of these projects for inspiration. Schools can also post office hours on their page, where (during this interval) someone would be available online to answer any public questions.
 * Teachers can setup a Twitter account and use it to present lesson plans, provide notes to students or answer questions. Tweets can act as a running record of the class activities.
 * Seminars or lectures can be uploaded on a broadcasting website, where students from near or far can access the information. If students miss a lecture, they have the opportunity to attend them online.
 * Teachers can setup their own YouTube channels, where they can post any informative videos they might want their students to watch. Students would just have to seek out the channel and all the videos would be accessible through a single channel.
 * Teachers can setup a wiki for their class, where students can find tutorials or post questions. This interactive site can be very informative and useful for students who are used to finding information through interactive pages. (2009)

These are just a few examples of ways teachers can use social media to enhance their lessons, or provide students with various ways to access information or express themselves. It is evident that teachers can use social media in a controlled and respectful manner to reach the digital native generation.

Click Here for a Social Media Lesson Plan