Should social media be used in school?
More stories from Lauren Pantleo
KQED can be very useful in the classroom.
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. What comes to your mind when you hear those names? Most people use social media accounts to post selfies, say what they are doing, or simply to see what’s going on in their friends lives. Most schools tend to block social media sites because it’s an easy way to bully another student.
Did you know that, according to Joshua Bolkan, in his article Report: Most Teachers Use Social Media, Worry It Will Cause Conflict, “Fifty-eight percent of high school teachers…who responded said that they believe social media use can enhance their students’ educational experience.” How do teachers use social media? Should it be used in classrooms?
Jason Griffith, a tenth grade English teacher said, “I’ve asked my students to participate in the Do Now a few times, and I also asked students to tweet for an event called The National Day on Writing.”
Do Now is an activity put on by KQED, an active Twitter page, in which they ask students to respond to the provocative questions they have asked. They prefer students to answer these questions through social media.
However, it’s not all about the teachers.
One of Griffith’s students, Kate Erfle said, “I love using social media in school. I think it creates an exciting new way to learn. It’s fun to tweet answers, because it is way more interactive.”
Both the students and the teachers enjoy using social media in school.
Social media should be used in classrooms because it enhances students performances. In addition, it allows the teachers to hear what the students have to say. Just because a student doesn’t like to speak up, doesn’t mean they don’t have important things to say.
According to Pedagogy in Action, “Media offers both cognitive and affective experiences. It can provoke discussion, an assessment of one’s values, and an assessment of self.”
When used correctly, social media can be a very effective tool. It helps students find their voice.
CHS has already started unblocking some social media sites. Because Twitter and Youtube are allowed, yet monitored, it gives the teachers an opportunity to use them. If these sites are used correctly, it can lead to a very engaging class.
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Lauren Pantleo is in 10th grade. Her staff position on Periscope is Perspective Writer. She does track and was a competitive swimmer. Lauren enjoys music...
Forest Edwards • Jan 20, 2015 at 11:02 pm
Most social networking sites are distracting, but they can all be put down and ignored in favor of schoolwork. The real issue lies in flash games (need I even say Tetris?) which, by nature, demand continuous attention of the student, to the detriment of schoolwork. I’ve no idea how to regulate games, but there should be some system to do it
Brandin Dyche • Jan 20, 2015 at 8:03 pm
Access to the social media sites has had a big impact. Allowing YouTube lets the students show videos or listen to music if they forgot their own. This along with the unblocking of Twitter helps the students to be happy and therefore helps them to have a more open minded approach in school instead of the prison mindset when everything is controlled
Bry Youtzy • Jan 20, 2015 at 1:15 pm
I really like that the school has let up on electronic devices. It makes it easier to just quickly look something up, and it also keeps more students out of trouble in my opinion.
Justine Douglas • Jan 19, 2015 at 12:24 pm
Having access to social media at school is very helpful. It gives up a new way of learning the material and if we don’t understand something we have more access to look it up on the internet to get more info. We get to do different activities using the computer instead of getting several of worksheets & I like that a lot more.
Annie Griggs • Jan 17, 2015 at 5:58 pm
I like having access to these sites, it gives us a new forum to learn. Having things like mybigcampus that are geared towards learning really connects the 21st century with the traditional learning environment. It is also a quick and easy way to communicate with students, and is extremely environmentally friendly.
Cassie Hageman • Jan 13, 2015 at 6:38 pm
I like having access to some social media sites, but sometimes it can be a negative thing. Ever since we have had access to twitter in school it has become a lot harder for me to focus.