Merriam-Webster describes social media as "forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content." In other words, social media is interacting by means of the internet. There are many pros and cons that accompany using social media within the context of education. In today's American culture, social media has become an almost necessary means of communication, especially for younger generations. It has become one of the most utilized mechanisms for communication and organization within communities across the nation. According to Monica Jade Romeri's article, New Media Statistics You Need to Know, 72% of people who use the internet partake in some type of social media. I'm sure you would agree when I say that we can only expect this number to increase as time progresses. Since social media is such a widely used tool, it must be taken into consideration in the classroom. Teachers need to start asking themselves how they can implement it into their courses to better the learning experience for their students and possibly for their students' parents.
One example of social media would be Twitter. This site allows the user to make short posts of 140 characters or less. Twitter would not be ideal to post longer assignments, but may be useful in reminding students of upcoming due dates and tests. It would also allow students to quickly communicate with their teacher. If the teacher's Twitter account is linked to his or her phone, then it would allow him or her to immediately see what questions or concerns the students might have. Another example of social media would be YouTube. This website consists of a wide variety of videos. Users are able to upload videos of their own, or they can subscribe to other users' channels. YouTube provides great potential for the educator. This tool would allow teachers to post videos of their lessons, thus allowing students to review or to catch up. Teachers may also post video explanations of step-by-step processes. One example may be in teaching students how to carry out dihybrid crosses. Since these tend to be difficult to grasp, the educator could post a video of an explanation and demonstration as to how to accomplish carrying one out.
A possible drawback to using social media in the classroom may be in the small percentage of the nation that may not have access to the internet. It is hard to imagine, but there are still American residents who have limited or no access to the web. According to the 2011 Census, only about 72% of Americans have internet in their households. Teachers must take this into account when considering the employment of social media in the coursework. A second shortcoming of using social media in the classroom could be those darn technology glitches. When technology cooperates, it is a wonderful tool. However, we all know too well that it doesn't always work in our best interests. Some obstacles might include software incompatibilities, link deficiencies, and even confusion.
When considering social media in the classroom, the teacher must ask, "Do the pros outweigh the cons?" From there, the decision can be made as to whether or not social media can be implemented in his or her classroom.
