Unless you’ve been living under a rock, we bet you’ve heard of and even used all kinds of social media platforms. Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and other social engagement networks have long become important in our lives. And now, nearly four billion people are using social media.
Social networks are popular among users of all statuses and ages. But teens and young adults, of course, make the biggest share of active users. And while they typically use it just for fun, there is actually a way to use such platforms in education.
So, can we really learn to learn from social media? The answer is we can! In this article, an expert paper writer and researcher from DoMyEssay, a writing platform for students that can help write an essay, will tell you how today’s students can learn from social networks. Let’s dive in!
1. Pinterest Boards
Pinterest is a great network where users can pin images, videos, and websites and organize them in themed boards for easy access. Most often, this platform is used for finding inspiration and ideas. But it can be used for learning as well.
Not many know this, but apart from stunning pictures of landscapes, houses, and looks, Pinterest also holds a huge library of helpful educational materials. Here, students can find infographics and notes on pretty much any subject. They can organize them on subject-related boards and use such materials to improve their knowledge.
Moreover, teachers can also use this platform for educational purposes. For example, they can create infographics, worksheets, lesson plans, and other lesson-related materials and share them with the class via Pinterest.
2. Blogs Instead of Essays
We all know that essay writing is very common in schools and colleges. And we also know how much the majority of students hate it. Writing an A-worthy essay often seems boring and too time-consuming. But have you ever thought that social media could change this? Well, it definitely could.
Blogging sounds much more exciting than writing an essay. And teachers can use this to their benefit. Instead of assigning students to write another tedious essay, educators can offer them to create their own blogs and publish short posts on the given topic. It is a great strategy to combine learning and social media.
3. Mini-Lessons on TikTok
These days, TikTok is probably the most popular social network used by teens and students. This platform was designed to let users create and share very short videos, mostly of an entertaining nature. But among millions of funny and silly videos, there are also many videos that cover serious academic and social topics. Thus, by subscribing to the right accounts, students can see lots of educational material in their TikTok feeds and learn from them.
Educators can also leverage this platform. For example, they can create short videos on specific subjects or topics students need to study. Such mini-lessons can be incredibly helpful for explaining complex concepts. And they are also fun, so it’s a great way to boost students’ engagement.
4. Photo Essays via Instagram
We’ve already discussed the huge role written essays play in the academic curriculum. But though not many know this, there is an alternative form of this task that might not be as widespread but is also effective in terms of learning. We are talking about photo essays. Photo essays use only a bit of text, letting the photos speak for themselves. Such assignments boost students’ engagement and let them unleash their creativity. And they also allow the use of social media.
Teachers can offer students to create photo essays on the given topic and share them on Instagram. Such assignments will help students practice digital storytelling, improve their creative skills, and at the same time, retain the studied material better because visual materials are proven to be easier to digest.
5. Facebook Groups for Class Activities
Another way to learn from social media is to create a dedicated class group on Facebook. It is very easy to do and can have multiple purposes.
First of all, teachers and students can use Facebook groups to share information, news, homework, make class announcements, etc. Also, teachers can use a handy streaming feature to host live lessons and lectures right in their class’s Facebook group. And lastly, such groups can be used for class discussions.
All these uses can help keep students updated on important things and engaged in the learning process. Thus, this is one more way to leverage social media for education.
The Bottom Line
Although social media platforms were initially created for communication and entertainment, they have already proven to have a huge potential in other spheres, too, including education. Today, learning from social media isn’t just possible. It is easy and extremely important for boosting students’ engagement and success.
Now, after checking out this article, you know about several ways to start learning from social media. But, of course, there are also other ways, and as social media grows more popular, its potential in the educational sector also expands.