Why Social Media?
Many educational standards include the use of media tools to meet the needs of the learner. ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) has included specific standards for students in the area of social media:
When considering the use of social media there are many things to consider:
- District/building restrictions and/or guidelines
- Appropriate use of curriculum/lessons to coincide with social media safety
- Screen time (not all screen time is created equal)
- Parent notification/permissions
- Separate accounts for teacher (professional) and students (classroom)
There are many advantages to using social media in the classroom:
- Connect teacher to other professionals
- Free professional development
- Connect classroom to other learners
- Bridge the communication gap between school and home (seek the parents, don't have them seek you)
- Promote your school; positive attention
- Can take as little or as much time as you have available
- Can be done with one device
- Assist learners in proper use of social media
- Up to date resources