What specifically do you want your social media use to facilitate? For example, here are some of the different uses of social media and examples of tools that fit that use. These tools may fit other uses also and are not necessarily the best ones to use, but are simply intended for example. There are many Internet sites and organizations that review social media tools and also tools for educational contexts. For example, Jane Hart has put out the top 100 (digital) tools for learning every year for the past 9 years.
For more examples see: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Conversationprism.jpeg
SMT is a tool like any other tool in the classroom. It's important to be clear on what you are wanting to facilitate through the use of the tool. Also, what benefits do the stakeholders expect to get as a result of incorporating SMT into the classroom, course or school? It is important to get "buy-in" from different stakeholders and understanding what is important to them is an important component of this. Do not assume that because you see value in the use of SMT in the classroom or school, that others feel the same. Find out what your stakeholders beliefs and assumptions are concerning SMT. For example, there is the belief that SMT will build student engagement, which has been borne out from numerous studies, and, there is also documentation that this is dependent on how the SMT is used.
SMT helps to build engagement in environments where existing structure and process already supports higher levels of engagement. If your classroom structure and process is not already supporting higher levels of engagement, adding SMT to the mix most likely will not raise engagement levels by itself (Blaschke, 2014). There are also many teachers, administrators, and school districts that feel mobile devices and SMT have no place in the classroom or school. Many school districts have already banned SMT devices although there appears to be trend towards allowing more SMT.
For example, in a study of social media use in American community colleges, administrators did not see social media as a front-seat tool to affect learning and academic outcomes but rather a tool to be used primarily to deliver one way communication to students, enhance community, student to student interactions and build student social engagement. In addition, over 25 percent of the 224 schools that responded reported resistance by faculty or administrators to the proposed use of social media in the school. Many educators also look at social media with fear or ignorance, see also (boyd, 2012), so do not assume that because you are excited about integrating social media into your classroom or school that others will share your feelings or support you. Be strategic. Do your research and create conversations and reasons why people would want to get on board with you. Often this will also require incorporating an educational component so stakeholders can make informed decisions rather than operating from fear and ignorance (Miller & Rollnick, 1991) (Ury, 1993).
- Communication - Google+, Bright Space formerly known asDesire2Learn, Facebook, Weebly, Wordpress, tumblr
- Information Seeking - Research, Communities of Learning - Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Diigo
- Community Building, Relationship Networks, Central Identity Networks - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Ning
- Promotion - Facebook
- Bookmarking, Curation - Pinterest, Flipboard, OneNote, Diigo
- Virtual meetings and classrooms - Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Webex
- Media Sharing - Facebook, Youtube, Flickr, Vimeo, Twitter, Pinterest
For more examples see: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Conversationprism.jpeg
SMT is a tool like any other tool in the classroom. It's important to be clear on what you are wanting to facilitate through the use of the tool. Also, what benefits do the stakeholders expect to get as a result of incorporating SMT into the classroom, course or school? It is important to get "buy-in" from different stakeholders and understanding what is important to them is an important component of this. Do not assume that because you see value in the use of SMT in the classroom or school, that others feel the same. Find out what your stakeholders beliefs and assumptions are concerning SMT. For example, there is the belief that SMT will build student engagement, which has been borne out from numerous studies, and, there is also documentation that this is dependent on how the SMT is used.
SMT helps to build engagement in environments where existing structure and process already supports higher levels of engagement. If your classroom structure and process is not already supporting higher levels of engagement, adding SMT to the mix most likely will not raise engagement levels by itself (Blaschke, 2014). There are also many teachers, administrators, and school districts that feel mobile devices and SMT have no place in the classroom or school. Many school districts have already banned SMT devices although there appears to be trend towards allowing more SMT.
For example, in a study of social media use in American community colleges, administrators did not see social media as a front-seat tool to affect learning and academic outcomes but rather a tool to be used primarily to deliver one way communication to students, enhance community, student to student interactions and build student social engagement. In addition, over 25 percent of the 224 schools that responded reported resistance by faculty or administrators to the proposed use of social media in the school. Many educators also look at social media with fear or ignorance, see also (boyd, 2012), so do not assume that because you are excited about integrating social media into your classroom or school that others will share your feelings or support you. Be strategic. Do your research and create conversations and reasons why people would want to get on board with you. Often this will also require incorporating an educational component so stakeholders can make informed decisions rather than operating from fear and ignorance (Miller & Rollnick, 1991) (Ury, 1993).