Social Media in Education
Social media at times proves to be a great help, especially for students. These days, students are using it nearly for all communication-related needs, right from staying connected with friends to discussing their homework.
Given this, some schools today also educate their students about social media etiquette and rules. Some educators say that interaction on social media is quite positive and schools can even have their dedicated Facebook pages for the students to communicate through.
Students on the FB page can make private groups to share both class and academic information with each other. Teachers can either be friends with the students on Facebook or simply communicate in groups and focus on academic objectives.
Mona Mehdi, principal of Orchids International School, Hyderabad, says that her school has a dedicated Facebook page. Despite having an IT person to handle it, she herself checks it every day and encourages her students to use it keeping in mind cyber etiquette. She says that social media can be used to give real-life examples illustrating legal and ethical issues associated with using social media.
In fact, students in the higher classes can be encouraged to use social media platforms like LinkedIn to help develop or explore the professional network they want to enter later in life. This will help them gather information and sources before they even enter their chosen field.
Social media is an advantageous way to improve connection amongst students as it makes physical presence unnecessary and yet brings all students closer. It is easy to share important announcements and discussions on a school’s social media page to keep its students and even the teachers updated.
In fact, a Facebook page can help popularize various school events across the world, encouraging participants and developing a school spirit. Parents also find it much more feasible in interacting at times with the school through the social media.
Thus, social media can be of great help to students, parents and teachers.
