Benefits of Using Social Media in Schools

There are many benefits of using social media in the classroom. It does depend on what platform you are using, but all have many advantages for the teacher and students.

1. Professional Development- One platform that has many professional development benefits is Twitter. With Twitter you are able to collaborate, share, and have discussions with people from all over the country and world. Personally, I follow many people in my school district and educational blogs to see what others are doing and to read articles about education.

2. Sharing- Another benefit is for students to share ideas, assignments, and to collaborate with others. Using Seesaw, Padlet, or Google Classroom students can see their classmates ideas and respond.

3. Getting parents connected - Using social media in schools can assist with getting parents connected. They can follow you on Twitter to see what is going on in the classroom. They could also sync up to Google Classroom, Seesaw, etc. to see assignments and feedback that their child is receiving.

Digital Citizenship and Safety with Social Media

There are many things schools can do to help students be safe when using social media. First, schools need to set clear expectations. The expectations need to be clear for the teachers and the students. Students should know not to post personal information. Teaching students digital citizenship and about their digital footprint can help students create safe habits online. Teachers should also set clear expectations on comments and responses when students are posting on each others.

My Favorite Social Media Tools for the Classroom

Twitter - This is a great tool to share to parents, other teachers, and the community what is going on in the classroom.

Padlet- This is a great tool to get students engaged in a lesson. They can respond to a question, share their ideas, and comment on others' posts.

Google Classroom- This is a platform used to post announcements, assignments, etc. This helps keep students work in one place online.

Seesaw- This app or website allows students to create a portfolio of their work. Students can like each other's posts and comment on them. Also, parents can easily get connected to see their child's work.