In a world saturated with social media, it’s easy to assume that younger generations won’t be interested in using these sites for educational purposes. Especially that many have mastered social boosting views.
Social media is incredibly popular among teenagers and young adults. Studies show that this demographic uses social networking sites as a way to make friends, find potential romantic partners, and strengthen existing relationships. In fact, 73% of teens use social media on a regular basis. But social media has more potential.
How can Social Media be Used in Schools to Support Student Learning?
Social media can be used to support student learning in a number of ways:
- Sharing and collaborating on digital content – While teachers used to rely on photocopying handouts for their students, it’s now possible to upload digital content such as reading material, images, and videos. This is a great way to let students collaborate and engage with one another, and you can also moderate comments and feedback if you’re using a social media platform such as Instagram.
- Creating digital assignments – As mentioned above, social media is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to creating digital assignments. You can use social media to assign a variety of tasks, including photo and video challenges, image editing tasks, and blogging assignments.
- Encouraging peer feedback and constructive criticism – Social media can also be used to encourage peer feedback and constructive criticism. Many social media platforms let you create student-only groups, meaning classmates can interact with each other and provide feedback in a safe and constructive environment.
How-To Guides for Using Social Media in Schools
Facebook as a tool for student engagement. When it comes to engaging students on Facebook, the best way to start is by creating a Facebook business page for your school.
With this, you can interact with parents and guardians, as well as students, and be more transparent about the happenings in your school.
Twitter as a tool for professional development. Twitter is often used as a professional development platform. This means that teachers can follow other educators and share resources, as well as receive feedback on their teaching methods.