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Yes, but they need to keep their personal and educational accounts separate. Combining the two could be a bad combination as it would contain unrelated data.
Yes, but they need to keep their personal and educational accounts separate. Combining the two could be a bad combination as it would contain unrelated data.
With this new millenium generation it is important to access students with what they're most comfortable with. Although I don't agree teachers should be accessing student's personal profiles, there are ways for teachers to connect with students via social media outlets. For example, a Facebook class page, a twitter class page, or a blog where students can post, comment, and interact with other students and professors. In this way, students will be able to learn about the class and what is going on in a way they find interesting and engaging.
Bobbe,
Thank you for sharing your concerns, you bring up a great point, there is definitely a risk the conversation will go off-topic when incorporating any kind of message board component to a course. If a student has only recently been introduced to a topic, erroneous information posted by a well meaning student will confuse learners so it is advised to closely monitor such discussion and chime in as the educator and moderator in order to steer the conversation in the right direction. I do believe deep and meaningful conversation between peers does support learning, and social media tools or discussion boards do promote carrying that conversation outside of the classroom, but ultimately you must feel comfortable incorporating such a tool and selecting what is right for you and the subject you teach. Not all forms of digital communication discussed in this course will work for everyone.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
I feel that when you are teaching a subject with your students and they are using social media feedback, it takes away from the instructor's strength in projecting the information that the instructor is utilizing to get points across. Too much outside interference and discussions could lead to confusion and not necessarily staying on track in class. And it would definitely, I feel, be too much information and takes away from the concentration of the subject at hand.
Robert,
Participation and professionalism points tied into the message board, Twitter account, or professional Facebook page should aid in keeping students in line when it comes to posting appropriately. Also, when a student adds a class page and classmates on Facebook they should be advised to add as an 'acquaintance'. This setting prevents posts outside the class page from being shared with the group.
Please follow this link for additional information: https:/
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Robert,
Participation and professionalism points tied into the message board, Twitter account, or professional Facebook page should aid in keeping students in line when it comes to posting appropriately. Also, when a student adds a class page and classmates on Facebook they should be advised to add as an 'acquaintance'. This setting prevents posts outside the class page from being shared with the group.
Please follow this link for additional information: https:/
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
I think it’s a thin line when social media such as Twitter and Facebook is used. It may be difficult to keep personal and educational viewpoints separate. There are other educational sources that can be used via social networking.
I agree. How do you keep personal separate from professional and how do you manage in a classroom a student who is participating in personal agenda's versus the professional agenda.
Students and faculty should be connected via social media as long as professionalism is maintained. There should be ground rules established of appropriate versus inappropriate use of social media. There are many documented cases where information on social media has had a negative impact on job retention, professional development, etc. simply because there are no "filters". This generation feels entitled to share all opinions regardless of the professional impact it may have....this is a skills educators must impart in student.
This is such a hard decision. Many schools prohibit this type of contact. However, if the instructor has a "professional" page (for the students) and then a personal page (with a different name not associated with the instructor) then the instructor would be able to interact with the students on this level. BUT, some students may try to take advantage of this situation, so it must be monitored very closely. An instructor could lose the "authoritive figure" if things are too friendly. Maybe having a facebook or twitter page/account for the class and the instructor being the monitor of the page to watch for inappropriate comments/behaviors is an idea, however it needs to have the approval of the administration of the school.
Of course! For many of our younger students, this is the only way in which many of them communicate. If we engage them with topics in this format, they are more likely to participate and they will possibly see their instructors as more accesible and understanding.
Yes. I believe students and instructors should definitely be connected on social media outlets. It gives instructors and students the opportunity to discuss coursework and communicate in a familiar format that is non-threatening. Feedback is automatic and ongoing which allows students to be engaged and instructors to make evaluations.
James,
RSS feeds, which have been around for some time now, is also a fantastic way to aggregate information that can be used for professional development as well as a means of providing current, relevant information that can be shared with students.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Kristin,
Perhaps the LMS your institution utilizes has a discussion board feature that can be used in place of Facebook or Google+. With proper coaching, students quickly learn to adhere to the online communication guidelines developed for a course. In my experience, there is a risk of ad hom attacks, students attempting to win an argument by attacking the speaker's character, so carefully monitoring threads is important in the event a student requires additional coaching in this area.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
LE,
Google+ is, in my opinion, the best social media outlet available now to connect with current and former students. If set up correctly, connection can be categorized by class or subject matter, and it is a great way to host an impromptu chat should students request clarification on assignment specifications or simply a follow up discussion on a topic some may have struggled with. I do understand your valid concerns about being able to separate work from personal time. What is great about social media is you are in control of when, where, and how you use it as a learning and communication tool.
Wishing you continued success in the classroom.
Theresa Schmitt
Definitely they should be connected on social media outlets because it is a wonderful took for students to "talk with one another."
There are a few benefits to connecting with students via social media. However, I believe the negatives far out weigh the positives.
The instructor is at risk of any number of complaints or accusations of improper relationships. The instructor is also subjected to numerous interruptions and lack of control of your personal time. Since the instructor is constantly contacted at odd hours for trivial questions (students do not study at regular hours.)
I do not think that an instructor should sacrifice their personal time or privacy freely. Because students tend to be self-centered and forget that we are not just sitting around waiting for their questions.
It's funny - here we are reading about the benefits of creating a facebook page for the class, but my school actually forbids instructors and other employees from accepting friend requests from students. I agree that it is all in how it is used and presented. I absolutely agree that students might just by habit communicate on a classroom page in the same informal manner they communicate on a personal page. I think this would take some in-class modeling or maybe showing examples of appropriate posts from previous classes in order for students to use it in an appropriate way. In terms of breaking down personal barriers that shouldn't be broken down, I think that is all in how the instructor handles the situation. I tend to share some personal information with students in the physical classroom anyway, and rather than detract from the relationship/professional environment, I actually feel like students respect me more when they feel like I am a real person with day-to-day concerns similar to their own.
Yes, I feel that it is very important to keep up with the current events in your subject by using social media.