Social Media – A New Era Evolves In Education

Image Source: bit.ly/1vh8k0Q

The new generation of students has grown up knowing that they need to pack their tabs in their bags and keep the pen drive in their pocket. They can tell time and can be reminded about their next class when their teacher sends a notification on their smart watches.

Experiments in laboratories have become interesting and fun exercises for both teachers and students since they get to make observations from very close quarters with the help of Google glasses. Explanations are so much easier to follow on smart boards.

Social Media Barges In...And Transforms Learning

Just a few years ago, people were introduced to the world of social media for fun and entertainment. People used these tools to share pictures and stories about private moments that were shared with friends and loved ones. But gradually they have been molded to give a new shape- that of a medium of instruction in schools, colleges and universities. Some social media tools have become very popular very recently.

Social Media Tools Favored by the World

• Some of the great social tools that are used in schools are Edmodo, in which the teachers and students in class can connect online.

• Grockit is the tool that helps students find study-buddies and they learn in groups. Skype can help students and teachers interact with each other from anywhere in the world.

• Quora is favored by teachers since they can find topics for class discussions and debates. This is available worldwide.

• The tool named ePals can assist students who are learning new languages and about countries and cultures that are different from theirs.

• Google Earth is popular for students who are learning about geography.

• Very recently, blogging has become popular among students and teachers. According to Dan Roddy, an eLearning Designer from UK, blogging is the best way to consolidate personal learning. Many authors can connect and learn about the latest information on a very informal platform.

• Kora Stoll, a fifth grade teacher in Miami Florida favors Podcasting since students can hear, edit and publish mp3s in an innovative manner.

• Jeroen Bottema, the teacher trainer for the School of Education Amsterdam pointed out how Twitter proved to be an important and useful tool when there was a need to have conferences and while having discussions.

The Extent to Which Social Media is Being Used by Students and Teachers

Social Media is also used by teachers and students at the level of higher education. Social media is personally used by 70.3% of the faculty. 55 % use it professionally outside the classroom and 41% use it inside the class. This no longer remains restricted to high school alone. It has been widely accepted by colleges and universities as well.

Image Source: bit.ly/1EQaHXu

Social Media & Digital Education–The Juxtaposition

Since 2000, when Friendster and MySpace were introduced as the quintessential domains for youngsters, social media has gone mainstream. The vast range of social media tools such as blogging, Tweeting, and Google+ hangouts also allow online students to both create and curate content, to collaborate with other students & teachers, and to build their own learning networks as well.

• Group works and assignments are the genres of Online education where Wikis and other collaborative document tools can be used.

• Personal and class blogs are reckoned to be important to submit writing assignments and reflections.

• Online students can make their presentations using Youtube, podcasting, or mind-mapping software and post these presentations online for others to evaluate.

The Academic Revolution

With the advent of social media, it has become a tool that is used by teachers in colleges and universities and the respective students for open discussion, explanation and the medium of expression both verbally and in a written form. Students feel free to submit original work without the fear of plagiarism.

 

Image Source: bit.ly/14xVCPu

The future of education is indeed very promising since it is evolving and transforming itself in the most positive direction and people too are being shaped and molded based on the knowledge that they are gaining. It is indeed great to see how we have been able to transcend barriers such as countries, cultures, languages, expressions, values and other minor differences to become an integrated global community with a common goal... to strive towards perfection by gaining knowledge that is free for all.

Article Source: bit.ly/1josddE, bit.ly/1tcuQAl