Social Media in Education

“How exactly is “Keshideh” pronounced?”

“Hear me: Ke like kept, shi like i in ship, deh like dent…now say it out aloud…yes, that is it.”

“Thanks man, see you for the class tomorrow at the same time.”

This is how a conversation went between students aged 8-12 in a cyber classroom at Skype. The kids were based out of Iran, London, and India, and were learning “Arabic” using today’s powerful media tools. They met randomly on a Facebook page discussing their desire to learn new languages.

YouTube, Skype, Facebook, and an Internet connection.Welcome to today’s world of “social” learning.

The moot question is whether social media hold several benefits for the educational sector, and there are several points that spell Y E S, as discussed below. The Chinese proverb “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand,” is an apt way to put how social media can help the education sector. It will make learning interactive and increase participation. The inclusion of technology in the classroom has effectively changed how a modern classroom operates. These web-based social networking sites are one among them.

Kids today are growing with Facebook, YouTube,Twitter, and Google twisted in their DNA along with the essential amino acids, and it will be best to ensure that they utilize the medium provided in the finest way possible.

As far as schools are concerned, they should definitely give a go to the use of such social tools. Benefits are galore; Teachers in the Western countries are encouraging homework discussions on Twitter, or are using Twitter to guide classroom discussions by projecting a live feed with questions posted by students in real time and have real-time discussions, they are uploading and sharing videos on YouTube, and putting up quizzes and polls on Facebook. A kid absent due to chicken pox can merely log in to YouTube and see the uploaded video of his missed class; one can get International guest speakers in the classroom with Google Hangout. With an increase in flow of communication, the conventional teacher-student relationship will see a major change, and it will help improve skills and motivation of the student.

Social media platforms are a great way to promote school spirit through community outreach programs. As long as social media are doing all this with professionalism and maintains the integrity of what the school represents, it is aninnovative way to be visible and be a leader in the community.

The overall development of a school student can be taken care of with social media. Promoting activities, gaining feedback, or starting a conversation for something or someone, can be easily done using websites like these, and with the parent’s participation, it can only get better. Creating a private social network focused around the course curriculum, teachers can post assignments, and create online assessments as well. Cross-cultural communication, learning what is happening around the globe in other schools, or integrating outside-world experiences into teaching is all possible using these tools.

Social media is a wonderful tool to keep educating oneself about the latest developments in the any of the fields – be it science, technology, or entertainment. Active online users who stumble upon a good blog or an interactive education medium are sure to talk about it, and social media tools help in getting thisknowledge spread.Education will move beyond the classroom, and one will have the ‘option’ of learning what he or she is interested in other than their vocational careers. Education will notbe boring and insipid; it will move beyonda black slate and white chalk.

Now is the time to move away those overhead projectors and the dull power points; schools in developing countries need to move with times,otherwise matching pace with other ‘socially interactive students’ will be an uphill struggle.

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From laboratory to library!

  • Miloni

    Well written Pari…I always felt that social media is a great way of sharing knowledge across boundaries.. And specially getting in touch with great minds across the globe. And these days people are forthcoming and are ready to answer to our queries as well. But then there is always a negative aspect to all that is here. Firstly, it’s good if students can contain themselves as students only. Because social media is a vast jungle and we all know how easy it is to get lost there at a tender age specially. Student’s end up getting exposed to more than just what they are suppposed to learn. This might be just the way I feel; but I do believe these days children are growing up way faster than we ever imagined. I don’t see kids these days have any of the fun I did as a child playing with friends in the playground. They are busy being confined to their Play stations or these social networking sites. Also many people who I have noticed are excellent at communicating on these sites are very shy when it comes to socializing in person. Plus I believe the fun in going to schools and meeting people is what stays as memories for a lifetime with us. On social networking sites kids are definitely going to miss all of this. There is a difference when you personally interact with someone like “Face 2 Face” and when you interact with them with a shield in between. True emotions never get through. It’s time we let kids be kids and allow them to untangle themselves from the mad social media world and let them grow socially, which they will never be able to otherwise with those sites. I believe kids should take help that would not otherwise be available to them to prosper their knowledge through these sites, but let them sit through the boring powerpoint presentations, be yelled at for sleeping in the class, have fun with their friend on the next bench, throw chalks and disappear and pretend they never did it, be punished for not doing their homework, have a normal childhood.
    Again these are just my views. – Miloni :)

    • Parita Dholakia

      Thanks for the comment, Milioni. Your views are pretty much resonant with several people out there who believe that technology, or say social media, is ruining children’s childhood. But then, it is a double-edged sword. Like everything, one needs to know where to stop and not let it ruin our personal/social lives. Parents need to play a HUGE role in this; because they can introduce their kids to all this and at the same time monitor their activities. There are indeed a lot many things that sits on the other side of the fence for social media and education, which we can discuss, but for the time being let’s focus on the good points. Indian schools are not at par with other schools when it comes to adaption of technology. With a decade or two gone, the disparity in “social learning” will be clearly seen in the development of the kid. And we don’t want that right? There is much in store that can be done, it’s almost like, let’s get started as soon as we can. Love your idea of an ideal mud-playing childhood, but alas, the generation today might be deprived of it, and yes, thanks to technology for that!

  • Ruchi

    Hey agree with you …. kids are anyways going to use social media….In that scenario, it is always better to let them know the constructive use of the same rather than letting them stumbling on the negatives alone…..