In my classroom, the most impactful ‘sighting’ of Social media is in the form of Wikipedia. This resource is constantly referenced to fact check, by both myself and my students, to inquire into topics that are beyond the textbook or collective knowledge of the classroom. Although as a class we do not often contribute to the actual wikipedia pages, there is a general understanding that these projects are collaborative and have been created by a wide collection of people around the world. I feel this helps give credibility to the concept of constructivism and the understanding that knowledge is created through the efforts of many.
Opportunities
– Individuals can contribute to the collective knowledge
Challenges
– There can be a hesitation to use social media due to the persistent idea that it lacks credibility due to its collectivist roots.