Exploring the role of Social Media in Education

The aim of this workshop is to demonstrate the importance and relevance of social media in twenty-first century education as demonstrated by the publications of organisations such as Educause, the PEW Internet and American Life Project, the Chronicle of Higher Education and the research of individuals such as Danah Boyd, George Siemens, Mark Pesce (blog), Bryan Alexander,  Kevin Lim and other researchers across the globe.

This practical workshop has educators in mind and is designed to enlighten the individual regarding the appropriate application of social media in an education setting. Positive exemplars will be shared with the participants and they will have the opportunity to explore a range of education sites that deploy social media.

The participants will also explore tools such as Facebook, Twitter, wikis and blogs and determine how they can be appropriately employed in education. Education has a key role to play in sharing with staff, teachers and the community how social media can be used to benefit and enrich both society and the individual.

School Networking

Duration

8 hours

Learning Outcomes for Participants

At the end of the course, participants will be able to develop the skills and techniques required to:

  • Consider and determine the extent of their own “digital footprint”
  • Evaluate a social media site and/or tool and determine its suitability in an education setting
  • Brainstorm, record and determine the key management issues related to the deployment of social media in education
  • Deploy social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, wikis and blogs in an education setting
  • Plan and develop social media engagement and participation strategies for teachers and learners
  • Determine the roles of stakeholders associated with the deployment of social media in education
  • Plan, create and map a curriculum specific lesson plan or unit of work incorporating one or more social media tools

Target Audience

  • Teachers (Primary, Secondary and Colleges)
  • Academic Staff (ITE, Polytechnic, University and Training Institutes)

Pre-requisites

  • It is recommended that participants bring a thumb drive or USB Flash drive so that they can take electronic copies of resources provided during the course
  • Finally, participants are advised to consult the relevant resources and links available at the following web site prior to the course http://www.larkin.net.au/

Activities

During the course:

  • The workshop will commence with a presentation that sets out the concepts of and the research associated with social media. Online resources will also be shared with the participants.
  • The presenter will share examples illustrating the manner in which social media has been deployed by educators, both locally and overseas, to facilitate teaching, learning and enriching community engagement
  • During the hands-on component of the day the instructor will provide brief presentations and instructions relevant to the desired learning outcomes followed by participant use of the applications and tools including Facebook, Twitter, wikis and blogs.
  • The participants will work both individually and in small groups to develop their skills to complete a number of hands-on tasks including:
  • Determining the extent of their own “digital footprint”
  • Evaluating a social media site and/or tool
  • Reviewing and evaluating positive exemplars of social media deployment in education
  • Brainstorming the key issues relating to the deployment of social media in education
  • Planning and developing social media engagement and participation strategies
  • Brainstorming the roles of stakeholders associated with the deployment of social media in education
  • Analysing and determining the application of social media tools in the teaching and learning curriculum
  • Completing an incident management report
  • Planning and developing an acceptable use policy for the deployment of social media in education
  • Planning and mapping a curriculum specific lesson plan or unit of work incorporating one or more social media tools
  • Help and feedback will be available through course notes and assistance from the facilitator.

Social Media Impacts

Workshop guides and resources

Related posts and pages

Education based social media sites

The Internet, Social Media, Privacy and Control

Three exemplars

Published articles on the issue of Social Media in Education

Educators write on the issue of Social Media in Education

Education organisations with a social media presence