Schools are expected to prepare students for both scientific and manual work. Educational establishments should also fulfill their educational mission and help parents turn their children into responsible citizens and members of society. So, should schools keep up with the times?
The answer is simple: they have to if they don’t want to lose contact with the children. This contact is particularly important in the field of digitization because today’s students live in a highly digitized world. Of course, that doesn’t always make their parents or teachers particularly thrilled. However, they should understand them and, in the case of schools, use modern technologies extensively.
Social media are the means of communication and part of the life of today’s students. So, why not use them in the classroom?
Social Media Should be Used in the Classroom
On average, 95 percent of young people aged 12-19 use WhatsApp several times a week or even daily. And the same applies to Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.
Many teachers still perceive social media as a major distraction in the classroom. But that can be dealt with by establishing clear rules that are understood and adhered to by all the parties involved in the learning process. For example, one of the most common rules today reads as follows: students caught chatting with their neighbors instead of studying will get punished. If we introduce a social media element in it, we’ll end up getting something like this: students caught using WhatsApp instead of working on their project via Instagram or Facebook will risk landing in trouble with their teacher.
Of course, social networks still have a long way to go before they become a natural part of the learning process. However, teachers and schools should recognize the potential of technology and be no longer afraid of it. Here, we don’t speak about the obvious advantages for students — with a constant Internet access Internet, they can find various college essay examples, share their tests answers, or ask for help with different assignments without leaving their rooms. Here, we talk about technologies in class, in particular. For example, a class in which a teacher sometimes uses WhatsApp to explain things or talk about the school-related things with a student who studies remotely (or their parents) is a nice thing.
The use of devices should be controlled in order to guarantee a more focused and diligent educational process. But, teachers have to be careful not to exclude students from the learning process inadvertently. After all, not all of them have smartphones these days.
Can Social Media Be Part of the Curriculum?
Just because students are social media consumers, it does not mean they know everything about the benefits and drawbacks of social networks. And it certainly doesn’t mean they are aware of all the dangers awaiting them on Facebook and other social media.
As one teacher put it, “There’s a lot happening on social networks these days:
- Sexually explicit images and videos being posted
- Sexual harassment going on in chats
- Extremist and hateful rhetoric being propagated
And that is precisely why teachers should know what social media students are using. If they don’t, they cannot expect to be called efficient educators.”
It is the task of teachers to look after students as they grow up. Therefore, social networks should not be used as mere tools but be included in the curriculum. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one subject — social networks can be integrated in all of them. That can be language, business, religious, and ethics lessons. Of course, there’s always a risk of students getting exposed to cyberbullying or sexual harassment on social networks. Therefore, schools should never leave them alone.
Teachers Should Learn to Deal with Social Media
If you cannot convience the professors that social media are not a distraction and escapism, they won’t use them. Moreover, they won’t let you use your own devices as well.
Teachers should know when and which tool will be useful and when it will be only a tool of distraction. From a professional point of view, it may be sufficient for a professor to learn things once and teach them throughout their entire career. However, that’s not the case with social media. Therefore, there is a need for regular training opportunities for teachers. Not only should they be able to use those opportunities but also know the benefits and drawbacks of various devices and sociaL networks.
