As an undergraduate student my time in Chemistry was mainly spent on Twitter because aside from the clicker questions taking place in class, I knew that there was no amount of attention I could pay that would help me understand the concepts that went right over my head. It was at that moment when I said “If I ever became a teacher I would use Twitter as a means of getting students involved.” Well at that time I didn’t realize that I’d be on the pathway to becoming a professor nor did I realize that there were actual professors who thought the same way. The article by and
So why is this important? Well I don’t necessarily expect to ever teach a Circuits course completely via social media but why not have a Twitter Chat on mesh currents and Wheatstone Bridges (you’re probably like what bridge would you talk about in circuits)? Or, I could build a circuit in a few 10 second videos via SnapChat. The reason why I like this idea so much is because it puts you as the instructor in a different and positive light (if done so correctly) with the student. You’re suddenly the hip, cool teacher that teaches the class that is somewhat challenging but it’s fun to learn because an example problem has been posted on your SnapChat account that slowly creeps into their minds as they procrastinate doing their homework by watching their friends’ stories. This also allows you to communicate to your students that you’re open and available to answer questions through various mediums. Imagine engaging with a student about academic topics for the world to see the lenghts you’re willing to go to be to effective.
I loved your ideas for incorporating social media into your future course. I was teaching in K-12 when i-pods first became a big teaching tool. It was a nightmare to try to fit them into our teaching plan. We never had enough for all the students, the ones we had never seemed to work properly, and most of the applications were games that only somewhat supported our current content. Then we moved on to laptops in the classroom – where we encountered some similar issues. As technology has advanced over the years and we have a generation that has grown up surrounded by it, its use has become much easier and more prevalent. However, it can still be a struggle. Not every professor is as comfortable using social media as his or her students – and this discomfort will show in how they attempt to integrate it. As new faculty join the ranks, social media will likely become more commonplace as a teaching tool. The most important thing to consider is how and why it is being used. Provoking interest and participation are great, but it is also imperative that the primary goal of social media should focus on supporting, expanding, and strengthening our content. It should enhance our pedagogical practices rather than replace them. And if we come out of it looking a little more cool or hip – that can’t hurt either.