The combination of Facebook for social interests and Linkedln is very effective. Twitter gives updates/changes almost immediately. Gen Y students love instant info/feedback. They begin to light up as per facial expressions when we meet next--and we bond. I am an older Boomer.
I FEEL THAT USING SOCIAL NETWORKS HAVE BOTH PLUS AND NEGATIVE POSSIBILITIES.IT IS GREAT TO SHOW HOW THE WORLD IS GETTING MORE CONNECTED AND THE BENIFITS OF COMMUNICATIONS AMONG MANY CULTURES CAN OPEN NEW WORLDS TO STUDENTS OLD AND YOUNG.THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD IS A COMPLETE REVOLUTION IN AND OF ITSELF. HOWEVER I ALSO STRESS THE DOWNSIDE OF MISTAKES STUDENT MAKE WHEN THEY REVEAL TOO MUCH PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THESE SITES AND FAIL TO REALIZE THE NEGATIVE EXPOSURES THIS CAN CAUSE THEM IN THE BUSINESS WORLD...PAUL T. ROUGEMONT
i see social networks as them having the desire to find stuff out. if i take the potential for that desire and help them apply it to the information they need to discover to be successful in my class then they will grab it and find the information they need to learn what i am teaching
Curran,
this is an excellent point & one that I will consider more. It is the desire to know things, so why not use that natural curiosity.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The larges problem is making sure they are working on assignments, not just socializing.
This was interesting to me because at my school instructors are told NOT to participate in Facebook or other social media with students until after graduation. The fear I think is violating the fraternizing rule. I can see both sides I suppose.
Richard,
and we definitely want to emphasize that no matter whether it's a good idea or not, if it's against your school policy, that must be respected.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
They are a great tool for the people that want to stay connected like our generation Y students. According to company policy, we are not allowed to "friend" any current students in our personal facebook accounts. However, I like the idea of setting up a seperate facebook page for each class. This way, everyone can stay connected without revealing their personal information.
I have not opened a social network account so I do not have that problem. I choose to use emails when communicating with students and set very strict rules.
michele-ann,
email is definitely a useful tool and we need to realize that for many in this generation, email is becoming outdated & slow.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I honestly had not thought about the possibility of using social networks within my classroom until I read this section. I think used appropriately it could be a good learning activity for the students, especially Linked In. I believe I will try this activity with my students in the future. While I do not regularly have Gen Y students, the majority of my students are very technically connected. My main concern with Linked In is the limited use you can obtain as free member, I wish they had an educational package to be utilized within the classroom.
Rae Lynne,
this is true, but it does seem that many, even with the limited package, are finding success in networking with LinkedIn.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with some of the postings below. I take issue with suggestions that to be an effective teacher of gen Y I should purchase a texting plan , join facebook and let them use their cell phones. While I understand that technology is useful teaching aid and needs to be incorporated to spark interest, I am honestly not finding these suggestions productive or even appealing.
Reading these treads has convinced me that giving the Gen Y students "social media breaks" is not a bad idea at all. Seeing that their teacher embraces what they feel is important is another way to develop a rapport with them and build trust.
Since most of the students are familiar with and use social networking on a daily basis, they are familiar with it and this will have a positive impact on their education. They can communicate with others who have the same interests and career goals. This communication and feedback can and should enhance the learning environment.
Gen Y students seem to live their lives on social networks. Social networking can help students in their studies by enhancing a small group efforts on a class projects for sharing and moving project information or ideas between group members. It can be used to help students communicate with others or their instructor when they need help on assignments. The student just needs to know that once they put something out on the social network, it is out there for all to see so be careful.
I teach in the massage therapy department and we encourage our students to take pictures when we are doing fun events or interesting hands-on activities. They put these pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We've gotten a few new students from doing this. But we do tell the students to make sure they are getting permission before taking pictures and we do have to take their phones away at times. But for the most part they enjoy showing their friends what they're doing in school and it keeps them interested.
Kristina,
I agree that this can be a great recruiting/promotional tool for our programs.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Social media spreads misinformation faster than it has ever been spread before in our society. It is so easy to fall for a well-produced website that has biased or even sinister intentions, or even just to buy whatever a friend says because it came from a trusted source. I think this provides a tremendous avenue to help Gen Y students examine what it means to be a skeptical consumer of information. Teaching critical thinking skills, as well as researching rather than just "googling" is more important now than it ever has been.
It also opens the door to dicussions in our classes as to how to effectively debate a topic, and how to maintain a respectable online persona in an age where posting behavior too often dissolves into name calling and vulgarity. The anonymity of the internet, and the lack of a face to face interaction when communicating, is creating a lack of empathy and compassion for those who differ from us in opinion. Moreso that ever before, I find myself having to address the "affective" domain in interactions with Gen Yers.
A benefit that I do find with social media is the idea that students are not producers and creators of content. As an English instructor, it has always been a bit of challenge to get students to embrace the idea of adapting their writing to a particular audience, because they've always fallen back on the default of "my audience is my English teacher who is making me read this." Those students in the past knew that even if they pretended to have an audience other than the instructor, I was still the only person who would be reading and judging their work.
These days, however, students put their photos, stories, poems, tumblr creations, etc. out for other people to consume and comment on. Gen Yers are often very tuned into, and often very sensitive, to the opinions of others. Therefore, addressing with them the importance of considering their readers'/viewers' point of view is more important than ever.
