3 Ways Educators Can Use Social Technology

Wednesday, 1/13/2010

It’s a complete understatement to say that social technology and websites like Facebook and Twitter have changed the way we communicate. But how has social media changed the way we teach and learn?

Traditionally, schools have discouraged the use of mobile phones and social media on campus. However, as social technology becomes the new norm, the potential to engage students and help them learn in an active manner is too great to ignore.

Mashable.com, the venerable social media blog, posted three unique ways teachers have embraced media in just this way:

• Skype: “Why force students to yawn over a textbook when a real-life native speaker is only a Skype call away? At Marquette University, Spanish students hone their foreign language skills with frequent webcam chats with their English-learning counterparts in South America.”
• Mobile Phones: Wiregrass High School integrated “cell phones into the entire educational experience. Students exchange questions and answers with their teachers via SMS and browse classroom blogs for additional instruction. Moreover, as an efficient collaborative tool, students can quickly trade notes or take a snapshot of the blackboard for later studying.”
• Twitter: “Leicester University in the UK turned to Twitter hoping that the popular micro-blogging technology would encourage collaboration outside of class. Students were provided with an iPod touch, given instructional materials, and told they had to make a few academic-related tweets a day. Soon, a thriving community grew, complete with @replies and hashtags flying back-and-forth between participants, tutors, and even members outside of the program.”

Read the entire article on Mashable.com.

We want to hear from you! How have you incorporated social media into the classroom?

Posted by » walden
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