When I was doing my practicum, I noticed that students tend to be more attentive every time I whip out a video. It is no surprise since the younger generation of today are known to be glued to their gadgets, and use social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr. As Eric Sheninger, the principal of New Milford High School mentions, “if we can engage students outside of the school, … students are going to find their learning much more relevant and meaningful”.
As teachers, we must understand that there are many benefits to using ICT and social media in our classrooms. For instance, the use of these platforms allows us to improve our own knowledge and skills as educators. As we are 21st century teachers, we need to adopt elements of classical education into our modern school system. Through websites such as Schoology (https://www.schoology.com/home.php) and Edmodo (http://www.edmodo.com), teachers can better engage students in their learning. It is always more fun and interesting to draw a mindmap on the computer than on paper. Teachers can take comfort in the fact that there are more and more of such educational sites available for use in their classrooms. Once they learn to use these tools efficiently and effectively, learning will take place more efficiently and effectively in the classrooms for their students as well. In addition, there is a wide range of resources available through social media. If I am teaching the book Sing to the Dawn, I can help students to understand Thai culture more through a documentary or recent news report. If I cannot bring my students to Thailand, I can bring Thailand to my students through the use of these platforms.
The benefits for students are countless. Such platforms serve as familiar tools for students and they are already well-equipped with the knowledge required to perform the tasks teachers might ask of them. Learning will take place for students when teachers cater to the different learning styles of students. The varied types of ICT platforms serve to aid kinetic, audio and/ or visual learners in their learning. The use of these platforms can also help shy learners be more confident in sharing their work. These students who find class or group discussions difficult might perform well through an online discussion or project where they are able to share more confidently. Good teachers can think of the drawbacks of various social networking sites and turn them into learning opportunities. For instance, Twitter only allows 140 characters for each post, and 140 characters should be enough for a haiku. Hence, I can teach students the structure of a haiku and get them to write their own, then tweet them. They can make a hashtag of their class, for instance #2E1haikus, and all their classmates will be able to read their haukis on Twitter. As the Internet offers a wide range of information, students can use videos and articles found on the Web to understand people across nationalities and cultures. Through this, students engage in Self-Directed Learning and are guided to an awareness of details and attitudes. They are thus engaging themselves in a keener consideration of motivations, relationships, ideas, and issues.
However, teachers have to note that although the use of ICT and social media can aid in students’ learning, there are a few disadvantages of using these platforms. Firstly, if teachers do not properly supervise their students, bringing students to computer laboratories would be a huge cause of distraction. Students might end up doing everything but the tasks required of them by their teachers. Hence, there is always a need to keep watch of students’ online activities whenever they are brought to computer laboratories. Secondly, there might be inappropriate content sharing or exposure where students upload materials that are irrelevant or rude. This could result in discomfort for both students and teachers. In addition, for students to use such social networking sites, it is assumed that every student has a device (computer and/or Smartphhone) which allows them to use such platforms outside the computer laboratories. However, this might not be the case as some students are not able to afford or gain access to such a device. They cannot complete their homework and this is a disadvantage to their learning. Teachers thus need to monitor students’ online activities in order to facilitate better learning.
References:
Osborne, C. (2012, April 10). The pros and cons of social media classrooms. Retrieved from ZDNET: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-classrooms/15132
Adventures, D. (2012, April 30). Effective use of social media in the classroom increases students’ achievement, attendance rates and graduation rates – USA. Retrieved from http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2012/04/30/4861/
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