Social Media & Collaboration Tools
Q. What do you think about teachers and students using social media as educational tools in schools?
A. I think teachers and students using social media as an educational tool is a very limited scope of what other tools they
could be using. This means, that using Instagram to show pictures of an science experiment and then having the class
comment on it is only limiting the time you could be spending on more educational sources. I would say there are better tools out there and social media sites were never meant for education. So why use them? They do create a sense of being social with others, so maybe using Twitter to post assignments could be useful, but it is just a fake sense of community and can easily be replaced by other tools that are easier to use (such as Schoology, or Moodle).
Here are some sources on the topic:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/using-social-media-classroom/
http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/social-media-teachers/
http://www.cio.com/article/2604686/social-media/is-social-media-reviving-or-killing-our-classrooms.html
A. I think teachers and students using social media as an educational tool is a very limited scope of what other tools they
could be using. This means, that using Instagram to show pictures of an science experiment and then having the class
comment on it is only limiting the time you could be spending on more educational sources. I would say there are better tools out there and social media sites were never meant for education. So why use them? They do create a sense of being social with others, so maybe using Twitter to post assignments could be useful, but it is just a fake sense of community and can easily be replaced by other tools that are easier to use (such as Schoology, or Moodle).
Here are some sources on the topic:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/using-social-media-classroom/
http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/social-media-teachers/
http://www.cio.com/article/2604686/social-media/is-social-media-reviving-or-killing-our-classrooms.html
SOCIAL MEDIA
PROS:
Social Media can be used as “virtual study groups”-- an excellent way to increase student learning. Students could routinely use Twitter hashtags and Facebook pages to discuss specific topics. Social media sites such as EdMoto and Saywire may be safer options for students, since they are closed to individuals outside of class and allow teachers to closely monitor interactions. For a discussion of additional free, secure collaboration tools such as brainstorming and chat platforms, see Free Tech Tools for Tough Times.
CONS:
Experts remind us, however, that there are clear “do’s and don’ts” for integrating social media in the classroom. According to the report Technology in Schools: What the Research Says, the choice to implement any classroom technology should be based on sound learning theory and should support a specific aspect of the curriculum. Teachers should have the backing and support of school leadership and have received prior training in use of technology tools to facilitate student learning. In addition, they should gather data to ensure that use of the technology is having the intended positive effects on students.
Social Media can be used as “virtual study groups”-- an excellent way to increase student learning. Students could routinely use Twitter hashtags and Facebook pages to discuss specific topics. Social media sites such as EdMoto and Saywire may be safer options for students, since they are closed to individuals outside of class and allow teachers to closely monitor interactions. For a discussion of additional free, secure collaboration tools such as brainstorming and chat platforms, see Free Tech Tools for Tough Times.
CONS:
Experts remind us, however, that there are clear “do’s and don’ts” for integrating social media in the classroom. According to the report Technology in Schools: What the Research Says, the choice to implement any classroom technology should be based on sound learning theory and should support a specific aspect of the curriculum. Teachers should have the backing and support of school leadership and have received prior training in use of technology tools to facilitate student learning. In addition, they should gather data to ensure that use of the technology is having the intended positive effects on students.
COllaborative Tools
1. Twiddla (www.twiddla.com)
- Easy to use collaborative online whiteboard - No setup web based meeting playground - Quick and easy – inviting others to collaborate - Just hitting the green GO button to start a session and then use the Invite option - App provides a great set of tools - Add an image, web page, or document as a background to markup - Chat option built in 2. Google Drive (drive.google.com) - There is a common familiarity with Google Drive - Lets you share and collaboratively edit Google Docs with anyone else who has a Google account, for free - Collaboratively edit documents and worksheets - Interactive classroom activities 3. Bubbl.us (Bubbl.us) - This free tool allows users to easily create bubble maps - Maps exported in various formats, saved (by exporting and re-importing them in an appropriate format), then edited collaboratively - The use of bubble maps as a teaching tool has been a good practice for decades, but bringing it to a new level by enabling collaborative editing through an online tool is great for the 21st century |
4. Edmodo (edmodo.com)
- Multi-platform, device agnostic, kid-safe platform is perfect for active learning - Share content, have a dialogue (in or out of the classroom), and even get parents involved! - A rich set of features including collaboration-enabling functions like Learning Communities and Discussions - Check out “10 Reasons Why Edmodo is an Excellent (and Hugely Popular) Digital Learning Platform” to learn more. 5. Yammer (yammer.com) Yammer is a private social network. Work in groups, share files, co-edit content and more with their free Basic plan. Explore “5 Ways Yammer is Improving Communication, Connections, and Learning in our Schools” to learn more. |