Reflections on Using Social Media in Education


Education has greatly changed in the last decade because of technology.  There are many resources available to students, parents and teachers today through the use of the internet and other forms of technology.  As part of the course work for the MATLT program, we have learned about blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and social networking sites and about their applicability to the classroom setting.  This paper will describe these new learning tools and provide a reflection of my learning experience regarding these resources.

            A blog is an internet site where the author can post reflections and thoughts about any topic.  Blogs have become a way for individuals to chronicle their daily lives or for people to discuss politics or ethics.  Blogs are becoming a popular component of classroom learning today because of the resources they offer teachers and students.  Blogs allow students to make posts and then have the posts reviewed and commented on by other students. Blogs can contain audio or visual material which supplements learning material.  Many teachers love the fact that blogs contain a complete record of past posts for future reference.  Blogs promote peer support and learning through online interaction (Wheeler & Lambert-Heggs, 2009).

            A wiki is an online collaborative work space where anyone can add content and anyone can change content that has been posted.  Wikis are designed for collaboration because they provide a method for people to combine thoughts and information, even when they may live miles apart.  Wiki articles are available to all group members at all times which means changes can be made by multiple people simultaneously.  This provides an ease of use over email where articles must be attached to emails, revised, and then resubmitted to all group members.  Wikis, unlike blogs, are specifically meant for group collaboration and interactive, concurrent learning (West & West, 2009).

            Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn provide people with a way to stay in touch with others in a public manner.  Users of these sites can use them to locate old friends or new colleagues.  These sites allow users to comment on their daily activities or on the comments of others.  Some of these sites also have a use in the classroom.  Facebook allows organizations to create Facebook pages that contain useful information for students and teachers.  Social bookmarking sites are websites that allow you to collect and manage your favorite websites.  An account on one of these sites can be shared with friends so that favorite websites can be compared.  These bookmarking sites make it easy for teachers and students to share information they have found on the web.

            As the internet changes the way people live their lives, teachers and other educators must find ways to incorporate the internet into the classroom. Students will enjoy learning when they can use technology they are familiar with or interested in.  Students are also becoming so engrossed in these technologies that it can be difficult to get their attention off of them and onto more traditional styles of learning.  Allowing them to utilize a technology that they are obsessed with is a way to keep them engaged.  Not only are these technologies more attractive to students than the more traditional classroom teaching techniques, but they offer teachers a way to educate in ways that increase learning.

            A blog is a terrific way to allow students to practice writing skills and critiquing skills. Students can post to their blogs and then allow their classmates to make comments about their work.  Comments can range from basic grammatical corrections to overall comments about the theme or the direction of the article.  While writing blog articles, students can be encouraged to access their online library or other internet sources to expand on the subject matter of their post.  The easy access to information on their topic is going to make learning that much easier.  In the past, teachers might have allowed students the opportunity to have one or two other students comment on their work, but a blog is open twenty-four hours and day and allows for every student in the class to engage in what is being discussed.

            A wiki is extremely appropriate for both classroom and professional settings.  Wikis provide for true collaborative work in a new way.  In the past, groups would be formed, and those groups would meet together in person and discuss the topic or problem at hand.  This method still has merit, but a wiki allows much more flexibility to classroom or work collaboration.  When a group uses a wiki, users can invite others from all over the world.  This will be especially helpful in business settings because business is becoming more and more global.  Students can be encouraged to create relationships with students across the globe, and they can use a wiki to work on projects together or simply to get to know each other.  The wiki is available twenty-four hours a day, so students can make comments or changes on the wiki when it is convenient to them.  Changes can be made to the wiki articles by multiple users at a time, so changes will be more appropriate and thorough.

            Social bookmarking sites can be very helpful for the teacher who has gathered a collection of internet sites that have reliable information about classroom material.  Students can also learn to use these bookmarking sites to help them write comprehensive research papers. Social networking sites are extremely helpful in business because they allow people to connect with others within their industry which can help them sell their products or find new jobs.  They can also be incorporated into the classroom setting because they provide resources that can help students learn.  Students can be directed to the Facebook pages of organizations they are interested in, and these pages might give them inspiration for a paper or project.  Students who need extra assistance with reading can find help on the Facebook pages of reading assistance programs.

            A major strength of this program was that it required students to learn how to use these different learning tools.  Many of us were not as familiar with wikis and social bookmarking sites as we should have been, and the assignments required us to learn not just about the websites but also how to use them.  I found it extremely helpful to actually create a wiki for a future classroom because it gave me the confidence to know that I will be able to do this again when I am teaching.  I also appreciated that the program had us review the work of other students so that we could get ideas and make comments. 

            My personal experience using all of these tools was very positive.  I definitely plan to use a blog in my future classroom to communicate with students and parents. I think it will be a terrific way to remind students about homework assignments, provide links to additional resources, and to keep parents informed about what we are working on in class.  I think that a wiki will definitely be used in my future classroom.  I believe that the world is becoming more and more collaborative as it becomes more global.  Because of this, students need to learn collaboration skills at an early age.  A wiki is a terrific way to teach them how to contribute in a group setting, and it will help them succeed later in life when they might be required to use a wiki as a part of their job.  I can see a usage for social bookmarking sites because they would allow me to keep a list of sites relevant to my class and publish them for my students to access.  I also could see myself using Facebook to encourage students to find learning opportunities outside of our school. 

            Teachers today need to know about the opportunities technology has for them within the classroom.  Using wikis will allow teachers to set up a collaborative environment that will enhance student learning and better prepare them for their future careers.  Classroom blogs can be used for students to post work, but they will also be very helpful for keeping students and parents informed about assignments and upcoming events.  Social networking sites can connect students to resources outside of their school and library, and social bookmarking sites will direct students to appropriate websites that will enhance learning.  The information presented throughout this program will be vital for all teachers to know in the future because of the benefits it offers to students of all kinds.

 

 

 

References


Wheeler, S., & Lambert-Heggs, W.  (2009).  Connecting distance learners and their mentors using blogs.  The MentorBlog Project.  Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 10(4), 323-331.

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