Encouraging use of social media or banning the use in the classroom – why such polar viewpoints?  I believe that banning the use of social media stems directly from liability issues.  Because social media cannot be easily controlled, many school districts ban it’s use both in and out of the classroom.  Bullying is a key issue around this topic.  Students are more apt to say things when shielded behind a screen than face to face with another person.  Therefore many instances of bullying have occurred via social media.  Also some instances of inappropriate conversations or posts from students has also given social media a bad rap in the classroom.

On the other end of the spectrum, some school districts have embraced social media as a way to engage students in learning.  Students today have grown up with social media and they are comfortable with it.  Like it or not , it’s a main vehicle of communication among tweens and teens.  So instead of pushing against the use of social media, many classrooms are finding ways to successfully use this tool for learning.

I personally believe it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing mentality.  I think we can successfully use social media in the classroom with some guidelines and limits.  I for example have begun to use Edmodo in my class this year.  The format is similar to Facebook and the students seems to like it.  I do set expectations for it’s use and address any inappropriate behavior immediately.   My students have used this platform successfully so far and it’s an easy form of communication among my four classes.  I’m not quite as comfortable using other forms of social media in the classroom such as twitter or instagram just yet.  So I’m taking baby steps with Edmodo and may add more social media to my classroom in the future.  As I said above,  it doesn’t have to be all or nothing … take what you like and leave the rest.