How-to video: The power of social media in the digital classroom
Brief synopsis: Social media platforms are web-based communication tools that 21st century teachers can use to convey information to students and parents, while also getting students to collaborate using the power of Web 2.0. Social media, as indicated in the name, is social -- the Web 2.0 applications that make up social media promote sharing virtually any kind of information. Popular social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Diigo empower users to share personal or educational information, via pictures, media, direct interaction or links to other sources. The sharing of information is what makes social media immensely popular worldwide.
Benefits: Social media tools offer teachers a wide array of options for sharing information in today's digital classroom. Students embrace social media, because they enjoy sharing, and social media tools allow them to share information in a variety of ways. Social media gives teachers options for project-based learning and with differentiating instruction. With the constantly-growing popularity of social media, developers are beginning to design more education-friendly platforms, keeping student security in mind. Edmodo is one good example of a social media tool designed strictly for teachers and students.
Drawbacks: If social media has many amazing possibilities for learning, there are nearly an equal amount of possibilities for distraction. Students can easily lose their focus on teaching and learning, in favor of chatting with friends and posting personal items to virtually any social media platform. School districts often block sites like Twitter and Facebook, due to the fear that students may fall victim to Internet predators.
Conclusion: The how-to video above examines important Internet statistics that help demonstrate the power of social media in education today.
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