You may learn new perspectives on various topics through social media. Both students and teachers have the chance to interact with specialists to gain clarification on any questions they may have. Keep reading for more on this.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak early in 2020, online learning has become easier and more accessible. Globally, schools, teachers, students, and parents had to adapt to this new method of unfamiliar learning.
Social media has completely transformed the way we interact and communicate with one another. Moreover, not only in our private life. Educators and administrators have recognized the advantages of adopting social media in the classroom. Education institutions are now incorporating these changes into their systems and relying on collective resources and procedures to enhance the quality of life for students. Since so many kids are accustomed to social media and technology, incorporating their use into the classroom is more natural than ever. Social media use in the school enables students, instructors, and parents to connect with learning communities and other convenient educational systems and get more helpful information.
Every social media site has a variety of educational applications, including sharing announcements, hosting live lectures, and much more. The top instructors are now embracing the role of social media in the classroom. Worried about where to start? You’re at the perfect spot if you feel confused about where to begin your learning journey.
The various benefits of adopting social media in education are briefly discussed in this article.
How Does Social Media Benefit Students?
The use of social networking applications can enhance learning techniques for students and institutions. You may use social media plugins on these networks to facilitate engagement and sharing. Online lessons on YouTube, distance learning courses from other institutions through Skype, Zoom, or Google Meet, and a wealth of information shared on social media are helpful study materials for students.
Let’s start by discussing how social media may be used in the classroom. For students of all ages, from kindergarten to college, there are a variety of social media platforms for education that may be utilized.
Using Facebook for updates and reminders:
It’s no surprise that the first social media application most students tend to use is the Facebook app. It is widely prevalent among teens and young adults as a medium to communicate with friends and family. So, why not use this for education as well?
Facebook could be the ideal social media site to use in the classroom. Stick to what everyone is already familiar with when using a typical online classroom dashboard to avoid subjecting teachers and students to a new learning curve.
Encourage students to like the class’ Facebook page so that the teacher may use it to publish class updates, distribute homework, and promote conversation.
Host Live Lectures through Zoom or Facebook Live:
For each of their classes, instructors may also set up Facebook Groups, either public or private, where they can post discussion topics, assign homework, stream Facebook Live lectures, and more. Posting reminders and assignments will help students stay focused during vacations or snow days so they won’t have to reread them when class begins.
Zoom is another application that helps you to host live online classes. Skype and Google Meet work the same way as Zoom, although you may not get the added interactions you may get during Facebook Lives.
Build A Community With Students:
A virtual community is crucial whether you teach online or have alums worldwide. Communities can exist in a variety of ways. For class discussions, private Facebook pages may be fantastic. Important material can be amplified using public hashtags.
A Facebook Group or Page is an obvious choice if your main goal is to increase student involvement. People may connect over shared experiences, discuss the course, and submit questions and comments here.
Visual Classes with Instagram: Students can use Instagram to present a collection of images or graphics in a visually attractive way in a class that emphasizes visual content. Instagram enables students to practice digital storytelling in a way that may not be possible on other social media platforms.
You can also share images of campus events and activities to inform prospective parents and students what to anticipate when they visit your institution.
Increased Emphasis On Digital Literacy:
In the previous days, people had little to no idea about the outside world unless they were physically there due to the lack of internet. Thanks to the internet, these days, one can see and learn a lot due to the vast amount of resources present for free on the internet.
Nowadays, social media is quite powerful. You may use it to connect with potential employers, find work, improve your skills, and more.
On the other hand, the data you input into social media is essential, and if in the wrong hands, it can be pretty dangerous. Something that has been posted online can nearly always be discovered again. Therefore, it is crucial now more than ever to be digitally literate. While using these technologies, students must learn how to use them responsibly and productively.
Learn With Youtube:
YouTube is a vast streaming platform that educators choose all over the world to share their knowledge with students they cannot personally teach. If you search for a tutorial for something on YouTube, you’ll probably end up with at least 10 different results for the said problem.
Youtube is also a secondary teaching guide for many students and is helpful as it gives insight into materials that the student may not understand in class.
Conclusion
Being involved on as many social media platforms as possible as an educator and a student is essential because it helps develop better student training programs that impact student culture.
As an educator, one of the best things about social media is that you can also learn from other professionals around the globe. If you follow these professionals, you can learn more about them and get valuable materials from them, thus achieving outstanding results.