Scholarly Social Media
Engaging students has always been a primary goal for teachers. Gaining the student’s attention is the first step in creating a meaningful experience in which learning occurs. Teachers have always used every tool at their disposal in order to accomplish this task, and social media is just the latest tool to allow them to do this better. There is no doubt that social media has found its way into the public school system, only leaving the question of how it should be mediated.
Different schools are taking different approaches when it comes to mediation and engaging students on this level. Over 59 percent of schools know that their students are using social media platforms for educational purposes despite the fact that 69 percent of high schools in the United States have banned cellphones. Teachers are attempting to engage students at the level of social media by establishing things such as instructor-run blogs while 27 percent of the schools across the nation are establishing online communities for teachers and administrators.
When the types of social media platforms being used are evaluated, there is not a wide variety of media to consider. Within the academic setting, the overwhelming majority of students and educators are using Facebook, Youtube, and Skype to get their message across, creating a number of tangible benefits for both the teachers and the parents of their students. Teachers are able to communicate and collaborate more easily across different areas of study thanks to these platforms. The use of these technologies also encourages professional growth and development. For parents, the lines of communication with instructors are much more accessible, and the transparency of schools and associated districts is increased as well.
Students have also reported the benefits that they feel they have gained through incorporating social media into their academics. They are able to have a greater amount of influence when it comes to changing the direction of school activities. Students are able to communicate, collaborate, and learn from each other when it comes to academics. Schools are paying attention to the progress and many are adopting pilot programs specifically designed to encourage these positive developments in learning. One such pilot program in Portland, Oregon has seen a 50 percent increase in academic performance with the implementation of their social media-based learning platforms.
Source: The Guide to the Best Masters in Education
Posted in Social Networking.
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