We're Friends Because Facebook Said So

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I first got a facebook account when I was in high school.  My older sister was leaving for college and I wanted to keep in touch.  This was right when college e-mail addresses were no longer necessary for obtaining an account, and I felt really cool as a high schooler who was just invited to this new cool club.  And so began the obsession with social media.

Today, seemingly everyone has a social media account.  Grandparents have accounts.  Children have accounts.  Pets have accounts.  People are constantly connected to social media. Plus, it's addicting.  People are connected ALL of the time, liking, posting, commenting... and the need to be updated, to know what people are doing instantly, is addicting.  Because of that, I think that teachers should incorporate social media in the classroom (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!).

In undergrad I participated in an activity called "Neropolis" that was played online in the format of facebook.  Every student was given a secret identity with secret goals of people who were living during the time of Emperor Nero.  The game became so addicting that the teacher adjusted the rules so that we could not access Neropolis between 2am and 4am, simply because no one was sleeping and she could not keep up at those hours.  This kind of activity was extremely exciting, engaging, and informative.  We were given clear goals and we were encouraged to reflect afterward about our experience in the roles of Romans when Nero's life was on the line.  Frankly, it was awesome.  Possibly not great for anyone's sleep/stress levels (there was conspiring going on for about a week straight, and those in charge of protecting Nero became really paranoid) but still, it was memorable, it was great, it was informative, and it was lots of fun.  

If I had participated in an activity that was as interactive and energizing during elementary school, I would have been SO excited about history.  Teachers who are up to date on technology not only seem "cooler" to their students, but they also understand what the students find interesting, and use that resource to make their subject interesting as well.

Rather than fighting students to read a newspaper, encourage them to read an online news article.  Engaging students by using media that is available and interesting to them will make learning more exciting for them.  Are you teaching another language?  Change the language used on the account.  Connect with other schools and professionals through groups and host group discussions.  Have students discuss books they have read on their social media site.  Share videos of educationally relevant topics.  Learn about new scientific discoveries, and share that information with others.  

Teachers can also greatly benefit from social media.  Sharing ideas, strategies, and experiences with other instructors can help improve pedagogy and engage students.  Through this communication with others, teachers may find ways to reach all students and help them succeed.  As long as social media is used appropriately, teachers can always find new ways to spark interest in the classroom.

Some argue that social media is "dumbing us down," and that rather than engaging in intellectual discussions we feel the need to share every aspect of what we do and every feeling that we have.  As a teacher, we can encourage students to make smart choices about what to post on social media, and help them become interested in the world around them.

Working with others, discussing, and problem-solving, can improve our life.  By allowing simultaneous interaction with people throughout the globe, we are promoting advancement of our world.  Web 2.0 can, and should, be used to connect others within and outside of the classroom.  We can benefit from listening to what others have to say, we just need to promote constructive communication.