Social Media - How Effective Are They?
Nowadays it seems like more people are a part of social media than aren't.
You hear about it all the time and it can seem like you are out of touch if you don't participate.
Social media like Twitter and Facebook are especially appealing to young people.
Today's youth love social media because of it's rapid pace and ever changing quality.
It also appeals to a person's vanity.
Anyone can have a Facebook page and post the intimate details of their lives for anyone to see.
Or, they can send a Tweet about their most mundane experiences throughout the day.
They actually think that people care about such minutiae.
Despite all this, it's worthwhile to keep up with social media so that you know what your kids are doing.
In some communities social media has been given a bad name.
It's been reported that nearly 60% of schools in the UK have banned the use of social media.
This is despite the fact that most students are on it while off campus.
Schools do so because they believe they can protect the children from the dangers of the internet by removing access.
This can often backfire, however since taking something away often makes it more appealing.
It's a reality that social media is probably not going away any time soon.
It's better to adjust to it and learn how we can benefit from it than pretend it doesn't exist.
If we embrace we may find ways it can help our children in school and beyond.
Some communities have made that leap.
In Portland, Oregon, a teacher was successful in piloting a social media program that had startling results.
It was found that there was a rise in students performing work that didn't qualify for credits.
There was also a decline in absences and the students appeared more motivated.
The school even went further and developed blogs and networks so that teachers and parents could monitor the student's progress and interact with one another.
Additionally, school administrators learned that the students were far more aware of the potential dangers that exist online and how to cope with them.
The internet is a tool with enormous potential to help students learn in ways like never before.
If we simply think of social media in that way we can harness it for good.
You hear about it all the time and it can seem like you are out of touch if you don't participate.
Social media like Twitter and Facebook are especially appealing to young people.
Today's youth love social media because of it's rapid pace and ever changing quality.
It also appeals to a person's vanity.
Anyone can have a Facebook page and post the intimate details of their lives for anyone to see.
Or, they can send a Tweet about their most mundane experiences throughout the day.
They actually think that people care about such minutiae.
Despite all this, it's worthwhile to keep up with social media so that you know what your kids are doing.
In some communities social media has been given a bad name.
It's been reported that nearly 60% of schools in the UK have banned the use of social media.
This is despite the fact that most students are on it while off campus.
Schools do so because they believe they can protect the children from the dangers of the internet by removing access.
This can often backfire, however since taking something away often makes it more appealing.
It's a reality that social media is probably not going away any time soon.
It's better to adjust to it and learn how we can benefit from it than pretend it doesn't exist.
If we embrace we may find ways it can help our children in school and beyond.
Some communities have made that leap.
In Portland, Oregon, a teacher was successful in piloting a social media program that had startling results.
It was found that there was a rise in students performing work that didn't qualify for credits.
There was also a decline in absences and the students appeared more motivated.
The school even went further and developed blogs and networks so that teachers and parents could monitor the student's progress and interact with one another.
Additionally, school administrators learned that the students were far more aware of the potential dangers that exist online and how to cope with them.
The internet is a tool with enormous potential to help students learn in ways like never before.
If we simply think of social media in that way we can harness it for good.
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