I think social media is an excellent tool to use in education. It is an amazing way to raise awareness of what is happening in classrooms and to keep parents informed. It is also a great way for teachers to share ideas with each other. Even the community can stay informed about what is happening in classrooms.

Unfortunately, all of the benefits come with some significant concerns and potential barriers. I would not want to be able to see what my students are posting to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. The best case scenario would be to post to those outlets without being able to see “friends'” information. A social media form of Remind 101 would be great!

My solution to these issues has been to avoid interactive social media beyond Edmodo, which is monitored by our district. Instead, I post to my websites and blog. A great example of the success of social media is my Garden Club Blog, which has raised a lot of awareness and fostered a great amount of support for our club. The community has a much better understanding of what our club is all about and we have received a lot of funding and volunteers.

See my blog at: www.mooresquaregardenclub.weebly.com

The blog has worked great for my application. I hope that there will be a better way to be involved with mainstream social media without peering into the social lives of our students and parents.