Use of Social Media in Education
Today, Web 2.0 technology is advancing rapidly, as a result of which every individual has at least one social media address. Although social media is a threat for X and Y generations for some reasons, we can sometimes use it for education. If we examine social media in the field of technology in education, many online tools can meet this need. If we start this business with a social media that is suitable for you and your students, the first question we should ask ourselves is "Which is the most reliable media for my students?" should be. The answer to this question can be Google +, Edmodo, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram. As one teacher said: “Okay. The school is not just a place surrounded by walls on all four sides, with a roof on top. School is everywhere. During a forest, during a mountain top. Every place where learning and knowledge exists is school.” Where does learning and knowledge exist for you? If we were to choose an example platform, let's take Google+. (It is not an existing social media tool at the moment.) You can review it as an example.
If you want to study with Google+, you can become a Google School first. As a Google school, you can open an education account for all your students and allow them to use Google+ with this education account. If you are not a Google school, each student must have a gmail account and be 13 years or older. After each of your students has a gmail account, a Google+ account is created automatically. The first thing you need to do is create an environment related to your class in accordance with the Google+ logic. You can name this circle however you want. For example: Let's say we created a class name in the form of 11 - A Science. As with all social media platforms, you can share photos, videos, gifs and files via Google+. After sharing any file, you have to choose which circle you will appear in. In the Google+ structure, only the circle you share sees your sharing. It means that you have started to use social media in education, which is the first stage of using technology in education. After that, it's up to you. If you want, you can assign homework to your students, share an article or share a photo of an activity you have done with your students.
If you are teaching your students online in online teaching platforms, you can gather your students on Google+ and create an educational environment with them. Thanks to the private lesson area, you can create a network with the students you meet and continue your lesson with them on social media after your lessons. You can realize the independence of time and space, which is one of the biggest advantages of online education, with social media. You can also return to us about the use of educational technology and the benefits of educational technologies. I think that technology is used at the highest level for education during the pandemic period.
