It is one thing to help prepare students for active participation in the current society, quite another to prepare them for future society; as mentioned in Wesch’s video A vision of Students Today (2007), we are preparing students for jobs that might not yet exist. As such, we can no longer content ourselves by ignoring today’s technology and confining knowledge and learning uniquely within classrooms and books; we must open the student’s horizons and ensure that they, not only, have the tools to become life-long learners but that they also know how to use the tools that are currently ubiquitous in our society.
The idea that learners are creators and consumers of content (Mabrito & Medley, 2008), not just passive recipients, beckons the need for adopting a path away from the confines of the “traditional” classroom. The incorporation of social media in classrooms can empower students (Bates, 2014) and allow them to interact in many manners with content, community and other students (Anderson, 2008a). The incorporation of social media can help students explore the subject matter (in my case science) in a more up-to date manner. They can see the relevance of what is being taught first hand, rendering the material covered more meaningful and memorable. There is value in mimicking the changes that social media has had in the sciences (and other courses); research groups collaborate, experiments and databases are shared and the extraordinary is brought into everyone’s home through the internet (e.g. Chris Hadfield tweeting from space or the robotic advancement of Bostondynamics). The greatest advantage that I can fathom from teaching with social media, if that it proves that science, and any subject taught therefore, is not confined to the classroom and dusty books, it is not boring and that the material covered has real life applications and implications. It proves that science (and knowledge in general) is happening now, and that the students can and will pay an active role in its development.
In spite of this overwhelming push to integrate social media in the classroom, it is difficult to judge the affordances and opportunities of a technology that I personally, in spite of being part of the N-generation (Mabrito & Medley, 2008), have had little experience with by choice. I believe that like all technologies, the course should be re-designed to incorporate it properly. To simply add it in my existing context might not truly open all the opportunities that this media can provide; to simply tack on social media might decrease its efficiency or relevance to the students. Obviously the purposes educators hope to achieve with social media will determine the amount and depth of the necessary re-designing. Redesigning is important for we need to take the time to properly learn and assess the technology if we hope to properly integrate it in our classrooms and model it to our students (November & Mull, 2012). We also need to consider re-designing the system to ensure that all stakeholders (administrators, students, parents, teachers, community) are on board with these changes (Mabrito & Medley, 2008).
Social media, as described in the articles, is described almost as the universal problem solver. Yet these are affordances only. Social media can give voice to anyone, somewhat adding to the potential chaos that can be found on the net. It is important to teach students how to decipher relevant and valid sources from the cries of the most boisterous. I cannot help but feel saddened and worried that we, as a society, are so anxious for change, for the new, that we often forget the past. We forget what brought us to this point, forget what we truly need in order to learn, to grow and to expand our horizons. I fear a world in which we believe that learning cannot occur without technology or is deemed of lower quality/lesser value if technology is not involved. I believe that there is still relevant knowledge that can be learned without technology, and that technology, although having great potential, is not the only answer.
References:
Anderson, T. (2008a). Towards a theory of online learning. Theory and practice of online learning, 2, 15-44.
Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age. Open Textbook.
Mabrito, M., & Medley, R. (2008). Why Professor Johnny can’t read: Understanding the Net Generation’s texts. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 4(6), 2.
November, A., & Mull, B. (2012). How Twitter can be used as a powerful educational tool. Retrieved from http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/how-twitter-can-be-used-as-a-powerful-educational-tool/
Wesch, M. (Producer). (2007). A Vision of Students Today. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o