The Good & Bad of Social Media in the Classroom

Who doesn't love sharing an accomplishment? A picture is worth a thousand words and both students and teachers alike love taking and posting pictures to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. They also enjoy commenting and sharing their thoughts. This, however, opens a door into a world of unpredictable outcomes. Proper implementation and supervision will ensure appropriate use of social media in the classroom. It connects students with students from distant places which gives them an opportunity to learn about different cultures. Social media also creates a learning network where we can constantly learn from each other. Teacher feedback is faster and communication is taken to another level.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis

On the other hand, there are many individuals who oppose social media in the classroom. It can be a distraction, lead to cyberbullying, and is difficult to monitor every single post. Students are coming to school equipped with smartphones that have HD cameras and voice recording.


These devices allow students to access social media sites and post items instantly, whether it's related to learning or not. This means everyone in the school is a potential victim of unwanted recordings going viral. Students may also be participating in unsafe disclosure of personal information and communicating with dangerous individuals.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues423.shtml

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx