Social Media in Education

“The term social media refers to user-generated content that is shared online through technologies ‘that promote engagement, sharing, and collaboration” 
Examples:
  • Micro-blogging (Twitter, Maang)davis-guidebook-social-media-thinkstock
  • Social and professional networking sites (Facebook, Edmodo, Pinterest)
  • Video and photo sharing websites (Instagram, YouTube, Flickr)
  • Weblogs or ‘blogs’ (WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr)
  • Wikis (Wikipedia)
  • Forums and discussion boards (Google Groups)
 
Some Social Media Guidelines:
  • Always follow relevant departmental and school board policies, including Code of Conduct.social-media
  • Be aware of breaching copyright laws when using social media.
  • Make sure your personal online activities do not contradict or interfere with your teaching profession.
  • Consider what you say and how you say it before you post.
  • Use discretion. Some private information should not be shared.
  • Be polite and considerate, even in the face of criticism. 
  • Create specific goals for your use of social media and stick to them.

Social Media Tools in Education

Start a Facebook group. Some questions to consider include:
  • Is the parent community active on Facebook?
  • What can you do about unauthorized school pages created by members of the community?
  • Who will create and maintain the page?
  • Should we allow comments?
  • What can we do about inappropriate comments?
“Social Media in the classroom: It’s here to stay” – Mimi Lto
Start a Twitter feed:
  • Why is it useful? For students, it allows the sharing of information and a discussion on interests. For parents, it allows them to keep updated on school activities. For teachers, it promotes and shares class content and also allows for professional dialogue and information.
  • Who manages the account? This can be done with multiple teachers who will monitor and publish on a regular basis. Some technical requirements are useful, but I can help with any questions.
 
Start a YouTube channel:
  • You can post your own videos and even allow student-created videos to be uploaded in one place. Many universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale have already been uploading much of their course content/lectures on iTunes U.

Learning in Social Media Spaces:

 

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