Social Media And Education

Social media, represented by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, is taking the world by storm! The Social Network is a blockbuster motion picture hit. Facebook boasts over 500 million users! And social media's influence is beginning to be increasingly felt in the field of education.

With the advent of the Internet and digital technology, the 21st century classroom is experiencing a paradigm shift! Many of today's classrooms are equipped with the latest educational technologies, including laptop computers, LCD projectors, sophisticated sound systems, interactive whiteboards, and digital cameras. Many teachers are using WBT, web based training techniques, utilizing satellite TV, streaming video, multi-media, and the Internet. This is no longer your father's classroom! Indeed, learning is moving beyond the confines of the classroom, and is taking place on the web, on the mobile phone, and on the iPad, with cloud computing playing a greater role! Learning, for many, has become a life long pursuit.

It is no wonder that social media, which employs Web 2.0 interactive technologies, is beginning to play an increasingly significant role in the educational experience. Students, teachers, and even school superintendents are writing their own blogs! Class websites allow teachers to post assignments. Class wiki's are being put up which allow students to collaborate on documents or projects online. Online forums and communities are springing up across the web, enabling educators to connect, collaborate, and communicate, especially in the critical area of professional development. Educational networking is, definitely, changing the game for both today's students and educators!

It is truly an exciting time in education! I will be posting updates on this blog about many of the amazing things that are happening around social media and education today! Steve Hargadon, a thought leader in the field of social media and education, has stated that educational networking is the face of the future!  

I welcome your thoughts, comments and ideas!

Below are some great resources for exploring how social media is changing education today:

Steve Hargadon
The Educator's Personal Learning Network
Educational Technology
Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
Classroom 2.0
E-Learning

Wishing You The Very Best!

Kenneth Lillard

Thank you for generous comment, photography courses! I appreciate your commentary and encouragement! Wishing you the very best!

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