Reflection on Social Media

What potential threats and concerns do you have about the use of social media in education? Why might students feel uncomfortable about using social media in a course and how might a teacher best educate and facilitate successful use of social media?

Social media has created a reality where social and educational life is intertwined. This is a great interest for teacher’s who want to set their students up with a prosperous future in whatever they teach.  There are three main concerns of social media and education we could discuss: context management, social media as a distraction, and degrading grammar skills. And finding out the best way to teach social media practices when there is so much information and interconnectivity of personal and professional forums.

Many colleges and universities now include some kind of social media etiquette statement in their student handbooks. Some colleges are pushing for more social media education, while other schools do not see that as a need. I think starting social media education is important for younger generations. I believe the best way to facilitate successful use of social media is though progressive education. As an educator social media etiquette can be intimidating because there is so much to teach about protecting yourself on the internet.  

Social media is so contextual, which can be dangerous for students who do not censor themselves. An example of these “blurred lines” would be employers and colleges looking at potential candidates’ personal Facebook pictures, posted pictures that some do not recognize as inappropriate.  A more intense example of social media ambiguity is the case of Caleb Jamaal Clemmons. Clemmons, a 20 year old, former Georgia Southern University psychology student, was arrested after telling his followers on Tumblr that “i plan on shooting up georgia southern. pass this around to see the affect it has. to see if i get arrested.” Clemmons’s experiment was a success. He was arrested hours after the post, spent six months in jail and is now banned from social media for the five years he will be on probation. No evidence was found that show Clemmons intended to act on the threat.

Social media can also serve as a distraction for students. For example, Facebook, instead of tuning into CNN, The New York Times, or Google News, many students find themselves refreshing a newsfeed that updates them on what is going on within their community of friends, and not the outside world, which may have affects their grades. There is also no way to monitor what students are doing on their own personal devices. Yet, educators encourage projects where internet use is necessary. I do not know a way this can be prevented. However, being aware of this possibility with your students may be beneficial in how we teach and assign projects.

Another threat social media brings to our generation of educators and students, alike, is improper use of English language. According to William J. Bennett of CNN, the College Board found that just last year, “SAT reading scores for the high school class of 2011 were the lowest on record, and combined reading and math scores fell to their lowest point since 1995."  The article went on to state that much of the concern is due to the fact that the score deteriorated the most in the writing section, which is reflective of students’ abilities to control grammar, as well as understand vocabulary. This is because we straight-up depend on our computers to correct our error and instantly validate our work. It is very interesting look at this evolution in our literacy. Social media is inhibiting our culture to write like we talk, expressing more personality. Does this devalue our work, or can it be perceived as a new sort of human-computerized language. As an educator, who is well adapted to Word Doc. corrections and not AP styling my social media networks, it will be hard for me to figure out my way of carrying out traditional English expectations.

The culture of social media is more complex than many believe. It is reforming our educational system. It also has a huge impact on our social trend and psyches’. As an educator I will maintain realistic expectations for my students and try to instill ethical guidance for proper social media use.

Citations:
Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/26/social-media-education-absent-orientation-sessions-despite-new-arrests#ixzz2flljB1VP
Inside Higher Ed

Randall, Andy. "The Grammar Devolution: Why Social Media Is a Threat to Education." Uloop. Uloop, 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Straumsheim, Carl. "Social Media Education Absent from Orientation Sessions despite New Arrests | Inside Higher Ed." Social Media Education Absent from Orientation Sessions despite New Arrests | Inside Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Zeng, L. & Pitts, M. J. (2012). Cultivating a community of learners: The potential and challenges of social media in higher education. In H. S. Noor Al-Deen & J. A. Hendricks (Eds.), Social media usage and impact (pp. 111 - 128). United Kingdom: Lexington Books.