The Case for Social Media in Schools.

Journal #3: The Case for Social Media in Schools. http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/

Technology in schools have been an issue for as long as I remember. I grew up in the days where the internet was begging and starting to grow. In the article, Kessler discusses that technology has always been a problem since day 1. Back then the internet first started, they were afraid of predators and pornography and as the article has stated, a classroom without internet access is a hard idea to grasp. I am a believer in utilizing technology in the classroom including social media. It seems like everybody is on the bandwagon to block it but it is not something we can guarantee it wont be a distraction. We, as the educational society must embrace it because it is not going away and teachers are using social media to remind students of classroom assignments or as mentioned in the article, to not be late for those students who are constantly late. The second part of the article made the point that when kids are engaged, they learn better. This is a no brainier in my opinion. So what are kids engaged to? The answer is social media and their cell phones. they are passionate about their facebooks and keeping up with any news by liking their favorite gossip magazine on the social media platform. It is up to us to break the mold of textbooks and lecture and to incorporate, and utilize these social media outlets and see them as tools and not weapons of education.

What are some ways that a school can use the social media as a tool?
A: a school has set up reminders for students who constantly run late to remind them.

Why is utilizing blogs or educational social media sites good for students interest?
A: Through the use of blogs, students are able to not only to express themselves but also gain valuable feedback from fellow students. Traditional methods include a comment or two from the teacher.