To be completely honest, the idea of using social media, especially Facebook, in the classroom is an idea that I am constantly weighing in my mind. As a sixth grade teacher last year, my language arts students did a project about the dangers of social media, as well as the safety precautions that should be used. With the exception of a few students, most were under the age of 13. I was absolutely shocked at the number of students who had Facebook (usually with a parent's permission), knew they had lied about being the legal age to use it, and had parents that NEVER kept up with their actions on Facebook. As anyone in middle school education knows, Facebook and other social media sites can cause a TON of trouble in terms of bullying and other drama at school.
However, I do see the benefit of a school using social media to keep parents and students up to date on school happenings, upcoming exams, and other announcements. Most people now have a smart phone with a social media app - the information flows seamlessly. I do think that in these instances, the site must be closely monitored. I don't feel that it should be used as a message board for negative and degrading comments.
I think that there must also be an educational piece for parents, as well as students. In order for social media to be used effectively, everyone involved must know the application's purpose. I do think there are a lot of wonderful opportunities with social media in the classroom, it just has to be gone about in the proper way.
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