{"id":113,"date":"2016-07-25T17:22:33","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T17:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/humanities-education\/?p=113"},"modified":"2016-08-01T22:58:29","modified_gmt":"2016-08-01T22:58:29","slug":"social-media-in-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/humanities-education\/social-media-in-the-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media in the Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lisa Shurtz<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Social media needs to become an integrated part of a teacher\u2019s pedagogy in today\u2019s US high schools. \u00a0We are teaching the first generation who have been influenced by the internet and technology from the day they were born. \u00a0These Digital Natives construct their social and cultural identity through social media (Churcher, Downs, & Tewksbury). \u00a0By incorporating Facebook, blogs, and wikis into the classroom, we create a learning pathway that interests the students, activates prior knowledge, and can even remain with them after they leave the classroom setting. \u00a0Once students are interested in what we are teaching, they are then able to develop the cognitive skills of critical thinking, reflection, and thoughtful dialogue. \u00a0These skills are also essential for successful careers. \u00a0Most companies want employees who can collaborate, be creative, and solve problems in order to develop a competitive advantage in the marketplace. \u00a0High school students are capable of developing these skills while learning new academic concepts and using social applications that are an integral part of their lives outside of school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"social<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Incorporate Social Media?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We are living in a rapidly evolving world of social media, and many students are better versed in these than their teachers. Today, Facebook has over one billion active users (www.facebook.com); Twitter has over 300 million active users (www.twitter.com); and there are well over 100 blogs in existence globally (Wikipedia). \u00a0According to a 2010 Pew Research Center study, 93% of US teens (ages 12-17) and young adults (ages 18-29) are online, and 73% of those teens use social networking (Churcher, Downs, & Tewksbury). \u00a0Within the smaller population of higher education faculty, Seaman and Tinti-Kane revealed that 70% of faculty actively use social media, but only 41% incorporate it into their teaching (Blaschke). \u00a0All of these statistics indicate that educators need to become more familiar with the various social media applications, actively use them in their daily lives, and then effectively introduce them into the classroom. \u00a0Active use may involve learning from the students. \u00a0While some teachers shy away from relinquishing control of the learning process to the students, in this case, student control does not threaten the teacher\u2019s authority. \u00a0Instead, it allows students to learn how to instruct, to better understand how others learn, and to educate someone older than them, which although potentially uncomfortable will be necessary in the working world. \u00a0Success in this endeavor can also boost a student\u2019s self-confidence in the classroom. \u00a0Some educators are concerned that students will focus more on their personal activities on social media rather than the academic activities. \u00a0Are they concerned that, when in groups, students chat more about their social lives than discuss the academic topic at hand? \u00a0No. \u00a0They have observed that group discussion is an effective collaboration and learning tool, so they incorporate into their teaching toolbox. \u00a0Social media can be incorporated in the same manner. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n