Social Media in the Classroom
Is it good or bad?
The Pros of Social Media in the Classroom
2. Schools have safeguards in place that help keep students on appropriate websites and filter out inappropriate content (Loizzo 2014).
3. Using social media can encourage students to collaborate and interact within their learning experiences (Abe 2013).
4. Many students can BYOD, and social media sites are easily accessible on multiple types of devices. So teachers no longer have to depend on the limitations of a computer lab or mobile lab schedules (Loizzo 2014).
5. Students can be involved in learning what is appropriate online behavior and how to post comments and questions in an acceptable manner (Loizzo 2014).
6. Teachers can become even more connected, in new ways, to their students (Abe 2013).
7. Students can discover new ways to reflect and show learning (Abe 2013).
8. Social media can be motivating to students who are already drawn to multimedia and technology tools (Abe 2013)
9. Social media provides another option for student participation, especially for students who are shy and less likely to speak up during a live classroom discussion (Abe 2013).
10. Social media use is another tool that can help students prepare for college and the adult world (Odom 2013)
The Cons of Social Media in the Classroom
2. Some students will have difficulty navigating the sites and teachers will have to spend extra time planning for issues and already have steps in place to help students through the learning process (Loizzo 2014).
3. Bandwidth and Internet speeds can have a serious impact on the time spent waiting for video and other larger media files to download or stream (Loizzo).
4. Teachers must implement multiple trial runs at least a week before trying to use social media with their students, to make sure the connectivity is there and that all features can be readily accessed (Loizzo 2014).
5. Social media can be a distraction in the classroom (Abe 2013).
6. Students have to be taught how to use social media in an educational context (Abe 2013).
7. Students and teachers have to remain vigilant about keeping personal social media and educational social media seperate (Abe 2013).
8. Social media can be overwhelming to students who are not as successful at self-directed learning (Odom 2013).
9. Lack of student understanding of how to use technology equipment or tools can slow down or frustrate the learning process (Odom 2013).