Social media truly revolutionized the way people learn and interact online. With the new developments in social media, we don’t just read, we actively participate. We now communicate faster, share information in more creative ways, and even create our own content and communities.

Nowhere is the effect of social media more prevalent than in students. There is probably no high school student who does not know what FB, tweet or YouTube mean. And while there are concerns and issues being raised regarding quality of content or safety of interaction, the advantages and benefits social media technology offers to education far outweigh its disadvantages.  Below are some of them:

For teachers:

1. Social media extends teaching beyond the classroom.

Teaching materials and programs that are traditionally confined in blackboards or papers can now be uploaded, shared, and gain immediate feedback.

2. Social media makes it easier for teachers to learn from one another.

Before, teachers have to search and sift through tremendous data from the Net on their own. Now, social networking sites allow teachers to automatically share and receive related feeds/updates. For example, by “Liking” SmartSchools on FB, teachers get to regularly receive education-related news and tips.

3. Social media encourages teachers to become more “sociable.”

During the day, teachers are confined to their respective classrooms. While they may get to chat with their peers during meetings or with their students during breaks, interaction is limited. Networking sites allow teachers to gain more friends or know their students better without space or time constraint. 

For students:

1. Social media showcases students’ learnings.

One good example of this is SmartSchools’ Doon Po Sa Amin which encourages students to share something unique about their own local community through creative and meaningful blogs. 

2. Social media makes it easy for students to learn.

Through social networking tools, students can easily retrieve, share, and more importantly, collaborate from simple assignments to extensive group projects.

3. Social media encourages students to be “sociable”.

Social media sites allow students to be friends not just with their classmates, but even with their schoolmates and students from other schools. What’s more, these online tools encourage students to express themselves, even thru simple retweeting or “liking” of a post.

Learning is meant to be collaborative, a social process expecting knowledge to keep growing. There is no better tool than social media – with its global reach and data mining capabilities - to take learning and education to a higher level.

Sources:

Anderson, Steven. “What Role Should Social Media Play in Education?” Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom. (Posted on Sep 23, 2009). Retrieved January 22, 2012 from http://blog.web20classroom.org/2009/09/what-role-should-social-media-play-in.html

Meany, Mick. “The Role of Social Media in Education Life.” RINF Webmaster News Portal. (Posted on Sep 30, 2010). Retrieved on January 14, 2012 from http://www.rinf.com/alt-news/social-media-2/the-role-of-social-media-in-education-life/8365/