Social media in the classroom

There are many out there who claim integrating social media into education is a bad idea. The naysayers contend that the utilization of social media by students, and even teachers to a certain degree, takes away from traditional methods of communication and education. However, there are many who believe that social media intergration is pivotal for future generations, as the digital revolution continues to expand and flourish. Perhaps the biggest question posed to educators and students alike is whether or not social media and technology influence the way students learn and teachers teach. According to David Simnick, a first year social studies teacher in North Philadelphia, the answer to that question is easy - yes.

According to Technically Philly, Simnick firmly believes that education has not utilized social media as much as it could, or even should, for that matter. So in an effort to make education more progressive and to enhance its social media potential, he has come up with a program called TalkChalk, an online education platform that enables teachers and professors to reach out to their students through a site most students utilize and are familiar with - Facebook. 

TalkChalk debuted last month at Philly Startup Weekend and is gaining steam. Simnick attributes the idea to firsthand experience as a teacher of low-income children without a steady home. “A lot of my students are essentially homeless,” said Simnick. "Yet they still have regular access to their Facebook accounts.” This is what inspired him to provide an online educational platform that extended beyond the traditional classroom-style setting. "The beauty of this idea is in its simplicity," explained Simnick.  "We need to use a medium that kids already know how to use to further their education. If you take the approach that Facebook is evil, you will lose."

The program consists of video conferencing and online games that award students with experience points in future updates.

The TalkChalk team consists of Simnick along with co-founders Daniel Doll, Melih Onvural and Nikhil Paul. The team plans to extend its service to Teach For America educators and a variety of social media-minded teachers in the Philadelphia area. 

Role of social media in education

Rinf News points out that educational institutions are embracing the power of social media and platforms are proving useful in generating classroom discussions. The term "online community" is taking on a whole new meaning. As teachers continue to adapt to changes in curriculum, they too must adapt to changes in society.

Sexy Social Media claims that admission offices at colleges and universities are also starting to utilize social media websites to recruit and inform students -- admission offices are using the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to show off to prospective students.

As we continue to embark on this social media journey together, we must utilize it to its full potential!

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