Social Media in the class room
This concept is new to me and though some may think this is a great idea. I, myself do not think that it is necessarily a good idea. I think using it would be a distraction to the information that teaching professionals are trying to get out. What do you think?
~sarah
Distractions are everywhere, and training to stay focused is very important. Aquiring knowlege and skill in a sterile environment is ideal, but achieving the same level in the same amount of time while needing to filter distrations produces a stronger graduate.
Hi Sarah,
I have mixed feelings about whether Social Media will be more focused on the 'Social' aspect rather than the 'Subject' at-hand.
Especially working with teens and early college students, personal comments with photos rather than factual & informational comments may cause distraction from truly understanding the topic or retaining the topic.
Possibly if no photos of students and a concise or micro-blogging, students may still be gaining insight into the content the instructor is desiring her students to ponder.
Time will tell if Social Media will have a stronger presence in our online classes in the future! Lee Russell
Hi Sarah,
I do see your point. I think bringing social media into the course can be somewhat of a distraction and can possibly bring in other people who are outside of the course, which may not necessarily enhance the learing experience.
I have to agree with you Sarah, in that social media is not that great of an idea. As reluctant as I am to say this, I am finding myself as more of the "older" generation in the classroom, meaning social media was not a way of communication when I went to college; therefore, it's a bit difficult for me to warm up to this idea. In fact, online courses were not even an option when I was in college. My course communications consisted of blackboards, dry erase boards, and overhead projectors. The simple fact of communication was this: If you had a question after the lecture, you needed to schedule an appointment with the professor during office hours and show up for additional help.
Fast forward 17 years, and now email, PowerPoint, texting, and social media run the show. While I acknowledge that this is how the "younger" generation communicates, I also have to acknowledge our "older" students who are not as comfortable with social media as our youth might be. That being said, I feel that social media is not as effective as the common core classroom where emails are exchanged, and FAQ's can be posted for everyone to see.
I also have to agree thart social media is a distration, since these stuydents are brought up using technology, always on their phone either on facebook or texting or even just on line browsing the fact remains they seem to keep themselves very occuppied with their fingers constantly. I believe using social media may lead them to wonder off and wait till the last minute to get the assignment done, buts thats my opinion yet I have not tried it to really compare. Has anyone tried using social media and what was the outcome please share?
