THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE CLASSROOM


According to my observations, today's kids are more linked than ever before through social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Not only that, but parents are also connected there. Teachers, on the other hand, have been sluggish to use social media as an educational technology platform in the classroom, according to surveys. We've all heard the phrase "Knowledge is Talent," but few are aware of the powerful impact that social media has played. The impact of social media on the classroom is becoming a driving factor in today's environment of connected learning. Teenagers and young adults have mostly used these websites to interact with their classmates, share information, reinvent their personalities, and promote their social life. Social networking is an excellent tool for connecting with others. Because the parents are on Social media, especially at the K-12 level. It assists in spreading the word and sharing information such as images and classroom updates. They can link to NASA and learn about many scientific organizations and the aquatic world through social media, as well as learn about numerous geographic demographics that would be impossible to visit physically. Students are inspired and encouraged to learn through the use of social platforms in school. Educational films on YouTube, quick access to e-books, online notes, and learning via video chats are all important factors that contribute to educational progress.

This Media Networking Platform in the classroom is beneficial for:



  • Promotion (Use of social media tools to promote special events/programs and recognize student achievements).
  • Continuing Education (Network to share blog posts or articles, to extend student learning beyond the prescribed reading in the curriculum).
  • Making Friendships (To keep connected with parents and to connect students with educators, experts, and other students outside of their physical classroom and school).
  • Citizenship in the Digital Age (For students to understand the best practices of how to use network responsibly is through experiential learning under the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher).
Before beginning to use social media in the classroom, Bal advises that teachers be extremely clear about their aims. "Some professors do it because it's the craze," Bal explains, "but the goal is crucial."

"The most important question is why?" she says. "What is your motivation for incorporating social media into your classroom?" Then, beyond the why, how will you put it to use? To pool your resources? To hold online chats? You want to link your pupils with other students, right? You must specify which activities, standards, and content will be associated with your social media operations."


Teachers want to keep their kids and themselves safe while using the internet. Many social media platforms include built-in precautions, but monitoring is the key to successful classroom usage of social media. Whether a teacher uses social media to publish homework or facilitate group conversations, it's important to keep an eye on what students and other users post and to have classroom discussions about digital citizenship. Before using social media, all instructors should familiarize themselves with their school's and district's educational technology and social media policies, as well as the laws laid out in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Empowering Effects

What's more remarkable is that, while some students use social media for entertainment and other purposes, a large number of them utilize it to promote a variety of constructive and beneficial activities. Everything is conceivable, from getting a summer internship to sharing a success story about how to win the student loan struggle to collaborating on multinational projects.

Implementation in Schools?

When it comes to sharing information or organizing school tasks, they are widely regarded as beneficial. Why not do it during school hours as well, given kids already spend a lot of time on social media and communicating with others outside of school hours

It's a matter of practicality, really, because using the internet realm to connect with your kids makes perfect sense because they're already there the majority of the time. Another case study on the use of social media in classrooms is unnecessary. Simply walking through the halls of any school or colleague will see children of all ages engrossed in their smartphones. Their everyday routine includes scrolling through their news feed, sharing images on Instagram, and sending Snapchat messages.


How Can Teachers Penetrate the Online World?

Moodle and Blackboard are only two examples of learning management systems that have been used for more than ten years to support online learning. Such technologies will gradually but steadily lead to the actual use of social media in classrooms. And the most effective instrument available to instructors is social media. They will only be able to truly reach out to pupils if they are open-minded and use technology themselves.

Students respond positively when a teacher is willing to use and adjust their ways as part of the educational process, as the preceding remark indicates. And it's understandable, given that schoolwork has a degree of rigidity to it, whereas an online chat about a particular book allows students to open up and share their thoughts.

Daring Teachers

Of course, there are several examples of instructors who have previously implemented social media in their classrooms that we are aware of; nevertheless, there are a select few who did such an outstanding job that their pupils nearly made them viral. A biology instructor in Bergen County, for example, issued a challenge to his students. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to have fun while learning. Because you'll need to know your meiosis to fit it into 140 characters.

Professor Dawson makes an excellent argument, as history has shown us that, no matter how fierce the opposition, technical development and new trends will eventually become the norm. Naturally, this only applies to industrialized countries with a well-structured traditional educational system. When it comes to developing countries who are still trying to find their path, the situation is very different.

Conclusions

This might easily be turned into a college argumentative essay topic.