Social Media as a Teaching & Learning Tool

Social media – love it or hate it, it is here to stay. According to We Are Social Singapore the number of active social media users in New Zealand is equivalent to a total of 70% of the population (3.2 million people). It is a communication system that many of our students are familiar with and enjoy using. Inevitably, teachers will need to adapt to its use in order to be able to deliver a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful to their target audience.

Image sourced from https://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/digital-in-2017-australia-new-zealand-the-pacific

I first began using social media in my personal life ten years ago – I know this because Facebook created an anniversary video for me just last week! It was around this time that I switched careers and joined the teaching profession. Initially my use of social media in education was limited to YouTube (in the classroom) and exploring teacher blogs as a source of inspiration. The degree to which I used social media in my professional life mirrored that of my personal life. If I were to place myself on the bell curve of the diffusion of innovations theory, I would imagine that I would probably fall into the early majority category.

Image sourced from http://blogs.salleurl.edu/itmanagement/2015/02/26/the-adoption-cycle-of-e-books/

Over the course of the last decade, I have explored many social media tools in the classroom. The ones that I have found to be most successful are:

•       Mystery Skype
•          Connecting with outside experts via Furture in Tech
•         The Global Readaloud
•         The New Zealand Readaloud
•         LEARNZ Virtual Field Trips

In my experience, the benefits and challenges of each of these teaching and learning tools are similar, if not the same:

Benefits	Challenges
Students have an opportunity to connect with outside experts	Joint ventures require greater input of time and effort in the planning and preparation stages
The ideas and information explored form part of an integrated teaching and learning program	All parties need to be committed to the process and communicate in a timely manner – there is nothing worse than having someone stall the process through failure to respond to an email!
Students are exposed to a wider range of ideas and opinions than would otherwise be achieved in the confines of our classroom	Coordinating timetables and time zones can be difficult – flexibility, creative problem-solving, and open-minded-ness are required to overcome these challenges!
Students have an opportunity to develop a stronger sense of self and their place in the world when interacting with people outside of their community or country
Students are able to practise their 21st century ICT and communication skills in an authentic context
The teaching and learning program is exciting for everyone – including the teacher – as there is a sense of anticipation and excitement about what we will discover together
Students demonstrate higher levels of engagement and motivation when presented with an opportunity to communicate with people outside of their classroom and community
Students ask more questions and show a higher level of curiosity when presented with learning activities that extend beyond the classroom

Each of the benefits and challenges in the table are my own experience of using social media tools in the classroom. It is clear to see that the benefits outweigh the challenges. The pleasure that my students derive from engaging in such learning opportunities is the main driving force behind my continued use of these tools. 


The process of planning and coordinating international communications has also provided me with an opportunity to expand my professional network and gain a clearer understanding of how education in New Zealand compares with other countries. I am excited about the possibilities that technology has opened up to my students and I, and I take great delight in the knowledge that I will have an opportunity to connect with many more outstanding teachers across the globe in the future.

References

Rogers Bell Curve. (2017, February 03). Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6Ld5v6bQY

We Are Social Singapore Follow. (2017, January 26). Digital in 2017: Australia, New Zealand & The Pacific. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/digital-in-2017-australia-new-zealand-the-pacific