Article Review Integrating Social Media Into the Classroom Curriculum

Paige Abe & Nickolas A. Jordan, (March-April 2013) Integrating Social Media Into the Classroom Curriculum. American College Personnel Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 16-20, DOI: 10.1002/abc.21107

Integrating Social Media Into the Classroom Curriculum

Article Review

  This article written by Paige Abe and Nickolas A. Jordan on Integrating Social Media Into the Classroom Curriculum was a combination of a lot of different researchers on the topic in the perspective of college professors using technology through their lessons.  In this article they spoke on how students are already distracted in their classes because instead of taking notes they are on a variety of social network sites.  Why not use what the students enjoy doing in the classrooms to engage students by using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.  Yet, there are still some concerns with using social networks into the lecture setting.  This is the way of the future so classroom teacher who are getting on board are noticing a great improvement to level of student participation, which then relates to student learning.

  Teachers who incorporated social media into their teaching found that it was allowing everyone to have a voice.  Students were becoming more engaged because they no longer could just sit in the back of the classroom and check their own social media.  Teachers were using twitter to aid in student participation on what was being discussed in class.  Doing this, the stress was lowered for some students who didn’t feel as comfortable sharing out their viewpoints.  Having students answer questions through tweets,  allowed students to also use the posting to help study for tests. It provided students exposure to an expert in the field of study who may not have lived locally through the tool Skype.  By using Skype, it saved a lot of money too, instead of flying, housing, and cost of food to get that person to present on a topic for the class.  By using social media it improved students learning because tools used in the classroom meet the students in their own territory and students felt comfortable.

  Social media in the classroom still needs to have a time and a place.  Although most students know how to use a variety of different social media site, some don’t.  Teachers can’t assume that all students born in this era know technology.   Teachers are going to need to teach how to use the different tools in the educational setting.  When using these tools, in order to get stronger conversation, students need to be provided modeling on what an educational conversation dialogue looks like.  How students use the sites with friends compared to education classroom is very different.  Teachers need to lay the groundwork first in order to get great conversations on social media sites.  Teachers and students aren’t all thrilled to use some social media sites because they want to keep what they post with friends separate from postings in the classroom.  Lastly, students still need in class conversation because students are missing out on nonverbal aspects of communication.  Social media still can’t be the end all. 

  This is the way of the future.  Students are using more and more social media so teachers need to find what best interests the student.  Social media can be one of the many ways that we engage the students of the future.  This study found that social media tools such as, youtube, Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. can have a great impact in the classroom learning.  With that comes the rapidly developing social media that once teachers figure technology out a new trend will spring up.  Teachers need to stay up to date and find ways to enhance the current curriculum before it goes out of date.        

Overview

     It’s great that social media is finding a way in education.  I wish my professors in college had used more of the social media into the classroom, especially since we were all given a computer.  I could remember many times searching the web when professors where lecturing for hour and how better in tune I would be in the lecture if students could blog or post on lecture. I would be playing college soccer in another town and miss class.  If I could have been able to skype in to class or use a professional blog with classmates to catch up on what I missed would have been very helpful.  Yes, we need to provide students guide lines with consequences if not used appropriate because no matter the age social media can easily get miss used.  We still need in class dialog because I do feel that social media has lead to a lot of misinterpretation of content.  If teachers are using social media to enhance students learning then I truly believe everyone wins!