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The 'social' part refers to interacting with other people by sharing information with them and receiving information from them.

The 'media' part refers to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).

Social media are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by sharing and consuming information.

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Social media is a phrase we throw around a lot these days, often to describe what we post on sites and apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and others. So you can infer that social media are web-based sites that allow people to interact with each other.

But if we use the term to describe a site like Facebook, and also a site like Digg, plus a site like Wikipedia, and even a site like I Can Has Cheezburger, then it starts to get more confusing. Just what exactly is social media, anyway?

The term is so vague that it can basically be used to describe almost any website on the internet today. Or can it?

Some people have more of a restricted view of social media, often equating it to mean the same as social networking (a.k.a. Facebook, Snapchat, etc.). Other people don't consider blogs to fall under the social media category.

It seems as if everyone has their own personal opinion of what social media is and isn't. But let's dive deeper into the general concept to gain a clearer and more precise understanding.

So, What Is Social Media?

Rather than define the term using a bunch of boring jargon that would probably only complicate things further, perhaps the best way to get a clearer understanding of it is to break it down into simpler terms. To start, let's look at each word individually.

The 'social' part: refers to interacting with other people by sharing information with them and receiving information from them.

The 'media' part: refers to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).

From these two separate terms, we can pull a basic definition together:

Social media are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by sharing and consuming information.

Yes, it's a broad definition-but keep in mind that social media is a very broad term. This is likely as specific as we can get without zeroing in too much on a more specific subcategory of social media.

Common Social Media Features

The following list of common features is often dead giveaways of a social media site. If you're questioning whether a particular site could be classified as social or not, try looking for at least one of these features.

Personal user accounts: If a site allows visitors to create their own accounts that they can log into, then that's a good first sign it might be used for some kind of user-based interaction - perhaps social interaction. Although it's possible to share information or interact with others online anonymously, having to create some kind of user account first is more of a common, standard thing.

Profile pages: Since social media is all about communication, a profile page is often necessary to help represent an individual and give them a space to create their own personal brand. It often includes information about the individual user, like a profile photo, bio, website, feed of recent posts, recommendations, recent activity and more.

Friends, followers, groups, hashtags and so on: Individuals use their accounts to connect with other users. They can also use them to subscribe to certain forms of information.

Newsfeeds: When users connect with other users on social media, they're basically saying, "I want to get information from these people." That information is updated for them in real-time via their news feed.

Personalization: Social media sites usually give users the flexibility to configure their user settings, customize their profiles to look a specific way, organize their friends or followers, manage the information they see in their news feeds and even give feedback on what they do or don't want to see.

Notifications: Any site or app that notifies users about specific information is definitely playing the social media game. Users have total control over these notifications and can choose to receive the types of notifications that they want.

Information updating, saving or posting: If a site or an app allows you to post absolutely anything, with or without a user account, then it's social! It could be a simple text-based message, a photo upload, a YouTube video, a link to an article or anything else.

Like buttons and comment sections: Two of the most common ways we interact on social media are via buttons that represent a 'like' plus comment sections where we can share our thoughts.

Review, rating or voting systems: Besides liking and commenting, lots of social media sites and apps rely on the collective effort of the community to review, rate and vote on information that they know about or have used. Think of your favorite shopping sites or movie review sites that use this social media feature.

What's the Difference Between Social Media and Social Networking?

As mentioned earlier, a lot of people use the terms social media and social networking interchangeably as if they mean the exact same thing. Although the difference is subtle, they're not the same. Social networking is really a subcategory of social media.

The easiest way to understand the difference between social media and social networking is by thinking about the terms media and networking separately. Media refers to the information you're actually sharing - whether it's a link to an article, a video, an animated GIF, a PDF document, a simple status update or anything else.

Networking, on the other hand, has to do with who your audience is and the relationships you have with them. Your network can include people like friends, relatives, colleagues, anyone from your past, current customers, mentors, and even complete strangers.

They certainly overlap, which is why it gets confusing. For example, you can share media with your social network to gather likes and comments - a form of social networking. But you can also just upvote a link on Reddit, which is a social media platform, to help out the community and give your say in the matter without any intention of building relationships with other users.

Still confused? Try to think of social media like fruit. Apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, berries, melons and pineapples are all part of the broader fruit category the same way that social networking, social news, social bookmarking, wikis, blogs and private web messaging are part of the broader social media category.

Are Traditional Media Also Social Media?

Traditional media was mentioned earlier on in this article just to demonstrate broader examples of media, but don't be fooled into thinking that TV, radio, and newspapers are a part of social media. At least not quite yet entirely. The line drawn between the two is slowly thinning as each continues to evolve.

Social media doesn't just give you information but interacts with you while giving you that information. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be as complex as Flixster recommending movies to you based on the ratings of other people with similar interests.

Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.

Are Blogs a Part of Social Media?

Copyblogger published an interesting article several years ago, making the argument that blogs are indeed social media, despite the fact that people tend to put them in a category all on their own these days. In fact, blogs are one of the oldest forms of social media that dominated the web long before we were friending and following everyone on social networks.

The key features that make blogs part of social media are their user accounts, comment sections, and blog networks. Tumblr, Medium, WordPress, and Blogger are just a few examples of big blog platforms that have very active community blog networks.

What Are Some of the Known Issues With Social Media?

Social media isn't all just fun and games with your friends, celebrities you admire, and brands you follow. There are lots of common problems that most major social media platforms haven't totally solved, despite their effort to do so.

Spam: Social media makes it easy for spammers-both real people and bots-to bombard other people with content. If you have an X (formerly Twitter) account, you've probably experienced a few spambot follows or interactions. Likewise, if you run a WordPress blog, you may have gotten a spam comment or two caught by your spam filter.

Cyberbullying/Cyberstalking: Children and teenagers are especially susceptible to cyberbullying because they take more risks when it comes to posting on social media. And now that we all interact on social media via our mobile devices, most major platforms make it possible to share our locations, opening up the doors for cyberstalkers to target us.

Self-image manipulation: What a user posts about themselves on social media only represents a small portion of their life. While followers may see someone who's happy and living it up via their posts on social media in such a way that makes them feel boring or inadequate by comparison, the truth is that users have the power to completely control what parts they do and don't want to broadcast on social media to manipulate their own self-image.

Information overload: It's not unusual to have over 200 Facebook friends or follow over 1,000 X accounts. With so many accounts to follow and so many people posting new content, it's almost impossible to keep up.

Fake news: Fake news websites promote links to their own totally false news stories on social media in order to drive traffic to them. Many users have no idea that they're fake in the first place.

Privacy/Security: Many social media platforms still get hacked from time to time despite having good security measures in place. Some also don't offer all the privacy options that users need to keep their information as private as they want them to be.

What Does the Future Hold for Social Media?

It's difficult to predict anything exactly, but if one thing can be said about the future of social media, it will probably be more personalized and less noisy. Over-sharing will be less of a problem and filtering out irrelevant information will become a stronger trend.

Snapchat is a social media platform that's really at the forefront of social media evolution. Rather than blasting out updates for all our friends and followers to see, we use Snapchat more as we communicate in real life-with specific people only at specific times.

Other big social networks like Instagram and Facebook have also taken inspiration from Snapchat for its stories feature, integrating nearly identical features into their own platforms so users have the opportunity to share quick photos or short videos that are only available to view for 24 hours.

If anything, social media is probably about to move more toward ephemeral sharing for quicker, more intimate sharing without the stress of having to blast something out to hundreds or thousands of followers that stays up there unless it's manually deleted. The pressure of garnering tons of likes and comments on regular social media posts also plays a huge factor, suggesting that more casual forms of social sharing, such as through stories, could be the social media way of the future.

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Serious Question: What Exactly Is Social Media?

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Social media are web-based communication tools with common elements that enable people to interact with each other by both sharing and consuming information.

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SNSs  for  Learning  enhancement  and  peer

engagement

- Active  usage of  SNSs  will  evolve  into  a

learning  tool  for  students  that  may  speed  up  the

learning  cycle,  especially  in  the  case  of  language

learning.
- The  direct  response  from

the  students  that  were  involved  is  that  despite  some

technology  hurdles,  online  classes  lead  to  deeper

understanding of the materials
- Learning through  Facebook

can  help  students  to  engage  actively  in  the  learning

process, while eliminating the traditional lessons taught

through  presentation  materials.
-  Facebook  usage  in  education  introduces

comprehensive  learning  that  benefits both  the  students

and  teachers.  It  was also  found that  students  are  more

serious  toward  online  materials  as  opposed  to

conventional  materials.
-  SNSs  are  also

useful  in  increasing  students’  motivation  and

engagement. Hoffman (2009) stated that adapting SNSs

as  a  learning  tool  provides  a  supportive  environment

and  contributes  positively  on  students  engagement,

motivation  and  interaction.

Students social  skills improvement with SNSs
-  Facebook utilization  as students’  learning  tool

leads  to  psychological  well-being  psychologicaland

provide  benefits  for students  with  low self-esteem  and

low  levels  of  self-satisfaction.
- The  SNSs  are  also  beneficial  in  building  healthy

relationships  between  students  and  teachers,  which  is

necessary  in  any  learning  environment.  According  to

Sturgeon  and Walker  (2009),  Facebook  leads  to  better

communication,  resulting  in  increased  engagement

between  them  and  better  learning  environment.

Disadvantages  of  SNSs  for  academic  purpose
- Firstly,  the

major  problem  is  the abuse  of SNSs,  where  it  will  be

used for social  reasons rather  than  educational ones by

students. According to the study conducted by Grosseck  (2011),  majority of  students spend  long  hours  in

SNSs,  Facebook  in  particular,  for  social  reasons.
- threat  towards

students’  privacy  by  using  SNSs  as  a  learning  tool.

According to Griffith and Liyanage (2008), trust, safety

and privacy are the  major  issues related  to  the usage of

SNSs  for  students’  learning  and  teaching.

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Benefits of social media in improving learning

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Benefits of social media in improving learning

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1. Communication And Collaboration

The biggest advantage of social media is better communication. A student can connect with anyone at any point in time via Kids Messenger or WhatsApp. They can use such platforms via their smartphone, tablet or computer, and learners can exchange questions, make phone calls or video calls. If a student is stuck with their homework, they can always communicate with their friends or tutors. They don’t need to wait and meet the teacher physically. Social media promote learning by offering support with sharing documents as well such as via Google Drive Box, Google Docs. Some teachers even connect with their class via Facebook live, as this American teacher does by reading bedtime stories to her students every evening.

2. Finding Concrete Information Online

Various websites and social media networks are providing plenty of information that can be helpful to students. Via social media news feeds, students can find informational and relevant websites they want to follow so as to be kept in the loop. Depending on their interests, students can find answers to their questions. Sites, such as Tumblr and Pinterest, can offer children inspirations for school projects or practical problem-solving.

The educational benefits of social networking sites are also those that help students prepare for important lessons and learn certain concepts with great efficacy. Social media websites will contain the latest data on various school subjects and thus, the students have the opportunity to survey and look into what is new. Social media is a Wikipedia for students these days. We are witnessing an era of social media learning.

3. Parental Involvement

Social media help the parents stay involved in the child’s learning. Via the school’s Twitter or Facebook feed parents can be updated on school-related activities, projects, and events that are happening. The school teachers can get in touch with the parents in case they want to share the child's progress via Skype or other secure online platforms the institution uses. A social network for parents can be created too via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, which can enable them to be informed about school matters, learning, and education.

These are all positive impacts social media have on parents' communication with the school so as to learn about, share and observe their children's' academic and personal progress at school. This again is a positive impact social media have on students' performance as their parents can offer better informed academic support at home.

4. Improved Literacy, Communication, And Reading Skills

It is usually observed that students are bored of reading and writing, however, the internet and social media provide plenty of online information which often students are more inclined to read, especially if these pieces of information include eye-catching animations. Online messages, comments, news, articles, and books provide an endless list of information to be read, and students are motivated to devote their time and put some extra efforts towards their learning.

Such online activities contribute to the child's general learning, and kids eventually develop stronger reading habits resulting in a drastic improvement in their writing abilities. Social media sites are in the most part interactive and this definitely keeps the student involved.

5. Distance Learning Opportunities

Another great advantage of social media in education is distance learning opportunities. There are many disadvantaged students who are not able to acquire formal education by attending regular classes in an educational institution. With the help of various online tools along with social media, modern educators are able to attract students through distance learning programs. Soon, this will be an inseparable part of our modern education system. Today, hosting live lectures via Skype or webinars via WebinarJam is the way forward to allowing students who live in remote areas of the world to access education

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How Learning Is Improved By Using Social Media In Education

Today, both social media and technology have become an indispensable part of our lives. Every individual who is above 13 years old will have their account on any of the popular social media networks such as Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, etc. WhatsApp has raised the minimum age to 16 years old.

Students are using various online tools to cater to different requirements. It will not be wrong to say that social media and education goes hand in hand in the modern world.

However, the question that arises is: how is social online networking useful to students? Are there ways that social media in education can benefit learners and help to fill in the gaps in learning if used in a safe and appropriate way?

Here are some of the educational approaches and benefits of social media to improve the academic performance of students:

1. Communication And Collaboration

The biggest advantage of social media is better communication. A student can connect with anyone at any point in time via Kids Messenger or WhatsApp. They can use such platforms via their smartphone, tablet or computer, and learners can exchange questions, make phone calls or video calls. If a student is stuck with their homework, they can always communicate with their friends or tutors. They don't need to wait and meet the teacher physically. Social media promote learning by offering support with sharing documents as well such as via Google Drive Box, Google Docs. Some teachers even connect with their class via Facebook live, as this American teacher does by reading bedtime stories to her students every evening.

2. Finding Concrete Information Online

Various websites and social media networks are providing plenty of information that can be helpful to students. Via social media news feeds, students can find informational and relevant websites they want to follow so as to be kept in the loop. Depending on their interests, students can find answers to their questions. Sites, such as Tumblr and Pinterest, can offer children inspirations for school projects or practical problem-solving.

The educational benefits of social networking sites are also those that help students prepare for important lessons and learn certain concepts with great efficacy. Social media websites will contain the latest data on various school subjects and thus, the students have the opportunity to survey and look into what is new. Social media is a Wikipedia for students these days. We are witnessing an era of social media learning.

3. Parental Involvement

Social media help the parents stay involved in the child's learning. Via the school's Twitter or Facebook feed parents can be updated on school-related activities, projects, and events that are happening. The school teachers can get in touch with the parents in case they want to share the child's progress via Skype or other secure online platforms the institution uses. A social network for parents can be created too via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, which can enable them to be informed about school matters, learning, and education.

These are all positive impacts social media have on parents' communication with the school so as to learn about, share and observe their children's' academic and personal progress at school. This again is a positive impact social media have on students' performance as their parents can offer better informed academic support at home.

4. Improved Literacy, Communication, And Reading Skills

It is usually observed that students are bored of reading and writing, however, the internet and social media provide plenty of online information which often students are more inclined to read, especially if these pieces of information include eye-catching animations. Online messages, comments, news, articles, and books provide an endless list of information to be read, and students are motivated to devote their time and put some extra efforts towards their learning.

Such online activities contribute to the child's general learning, and kids eventually develop stronger reading habits resulting in a drastic improvement in their writing abilities. Social media sites are in the most part interactive and this definitely keeps the student involved.

5. Distance Learning Opportunities

Another great advantage of social media in education is distance learning opportunities. There are many disadvantaged students who are not able to acquire formal education by attending regular classes in an educational institution. With the help of various online tools along with social media, modern educators are able to attract students through distance learning programs. Soon, this will be an inseparable part of our modern education system. Today, hosting live lectures via Skype or webinars via WebinarJam is the way forward to allowing students who live in remote areas of the world to access education.

Therefore, it can be claimed that social media platforms, enabling free voice and video calls, the sharing of documents, links and any other type of information can be highly effective in improving the academic performance and students learning.

At the same time, the parents and teachers must note that high security must be maintained if a minor is making use of any social media websites. There are great tips for keeping kids safe online which are for sure useful to all parents nowadays.

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Social Media In Education: Can They Improve The Learning?

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Today, both social media and technology have become an indispensable part of our lives. Every individual who is above 13 years old will have their account on any of the popular social media networks such as Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, etc. WhatsApp has raised the minimum age to 16 years old.

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Source of distraction.

True to form most people who use social media spend hours upon hours scrolling through other people’s posts. Just the way the creators meant it to be. Since they are busy navigating their newsfeeds, students barely have time to tend to their assignments and study. In extreme cases - which are many in this day and age - sleep deprivation is common from children being on their smartphones most nights. As a result, they can barely pay attention in class from a lack of sleep.

Also worthy of note is that social media technology is quite addictive due to the incorporation of mechanisms that enhance their use. For most people, it is not something that they can just stop using. If you are going to try and control a child’s use of the social media platforms, be aware of this so that any resistance does not end up surprising you.

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Soqqle - The Best Educational Game in 2018

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Social media is no longer a new phenomenon. It might have been two decades ago, but it is now so mainstream that most of the world's population has an occasional brush with the various platforms. However, most of the people who use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others tend to spend a lot of time scrolling through their feeds. This is true for mature people as well as adolescents and children.

Of course, there are going to have to be tangible effects of this kind of engagement. In the case of students, these effects are more visible and rampant than they were in previous generations. Naturally, some of these effects are positive, and some of them are negative. A critical understanding of both types of effects that accrue from the use of these platforms is paramount since they shape so much of a student's life.

The pros of social media use don't seem to be many. Nevertheless, since the various platforms are here to stay, knowing about them may help guide students to the positive aspects rather than the negative ones.

What are you looking at?

Platforms to share ideas and debate on them.

We have to remember that discourse is essential in the mental growth of students. By sharing ideas and discussing them, students end up growing their mental faculties and learning in the process.

After all, the whole point of being a student is so that our children may gain knowledge. Used in the right way the learning process will extend from the classroom and reach into homes of children during after school hours. An after effect could be better grades, and a better understanding of any concept taught in class.

Soqqle, an educational game was built to solve one of the key issues in classroom collaboration. Using aspects of connected learning and game-based learning, students can come together to collaborate and solve problems related to goals and interests that are common to the group.

Sharing study materials.

While not what the proprietors of social media had intended it does still happen. Take the example of a Whatsapp class group. Students, as well as teachers, can share some of the coursework and material they have with others by pressing the send key. This makes things extremely convenient as access to this material is improved. After that school children should be able to have access to these materials everywhere they go since they always have their phones with them. Even Facebook groups can be created with the same purpose in mind.

Nonetheless, a certain degree of care has to be taken so that these platforms don't end up being used for other mundane purposes. Having a teacher present to moderate and regulate behaviours may be crucial in the long run.

Global exposure.

Students rarely get an experiential grasp of what they are taught in class especially if it involves other geographical locations and countries. Case in point students in the U.S.A. are more likely to understand what happens in the U.S. than they are the rest of the world. Social media helps bridge that gap, and suddenly they can understand what happens in third world countries since they have seen it on social media feeds.

This is just one of the benefits of communication between people from different parts of the world.

Looking at the city from afar. But we don't live in it.

The negative side of social media to students is at the moment more prominent than the positive one. Reason being there are few regulatory measures employed by parents. These adverse effects need to be understood so they can be addressed. Examples are like the following:·

Cyberbullying.

Bullying has been known to happen in a lot of school settings. Unfortunately since the advent of social media bullying can now follow victims even past the safety of their homes in the form of Twitter or Facebook notifications. The after effects are just as harmful and include drinking and drug abuse.

Source of distraction.

True to form most people who use social media spend hours upon hours scrolling through other people's posts. Just the way the creators meant it to be. Since they are busy navigating their newsfeeds, students barely have time to tend to their assignments and study. In extreme cases - which are many in this day and age - sleep deprivation is common from children being on their smartphones most nights. As a result, they can barely pay attention in class from a lack of sleep.

Also worthy of note is that social media technology is quite addictive due to the incorporation of mechanisms that enhance their use. For most people, it is not something that they can just stop using. If you are going to try and control a child's use of the social media platforms, be aware of this so that any resistance does not end up surprising you.

Mental health.

The potential mental health defects as mentioned by Henry Fersko in an article for UNICEF could have dire implications on the quality of life for each student. Also, for school children, it might be hard to learn anything if you are continually suffering from depression or any other mental ailment. Controlling the use social media by learners could go a long way in preventing early onset of mental illnesses.

The social inclusion/exclusion aspect.

Social exclusion may act as an inhibitor to our intelligent thought processes. Being lonely is therefore not going to be a conducive emotional state for anyone looking to gain knowledge. Social media may, however, exacerbate feelings of loneliness which are on the rise because children use social media as a crutch rather than have face to face interactions. If your friends are having interactions without you, it's only natural to feel excluded.

Who are we, really?

Social media feeds brings such interactions to a student's attention on their timeline, and as a result, they feel left out and alone. As health Journalist Jenni Gritters explains the above scenarios can lead to inhibited intelligence. If the brain is only functioning half as well as it is supposed to, then the individual will miss out on the bulk of information disseminated in classrooms.

As it stands, the various social media platforms are here to stay. As a guardian to a student, this might make your parenting work a whole lot harder. Even so, there are so many benefits that could come about as a result.

If you can maximize those while minimizing the disadvantages your children will be well on their way to acquiring quality education. It is no longer an option to be passive about monitoring and controlling the use of social media.

Take the reins.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media to Students

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Social media is no longer a new phenomenon. It might have been two decades ago, but it is now so mainstream that most of the world's population has an occasional brush with the various platforms. However, most of the people who use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others tend to spend a lot of time scrolling through their feeds.

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The use of social network as a communication tool

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The use of social network as a communication tool

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By Kathleen J. Tate, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Director of Teaching, School of Education, American Public University

Social media continues to play a significant part in many people's lives, including those of teachers, students, and families. Recent statistics on social media users indicate that 74 percent of online adults use social networking sites as of January 2014 ( Pew Resesarch Center, n.d.), with the majority of those using Facebook.

In terms of children, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reported a few years ago that over 60 percent of 13-17 year olds have a profile on a social networking site. Last year, it was reported that one in five teachers use social media with students on a regular basis ( Davis, 2015).

As social media is integrated into classroom teaching and used to connect students and families with teachers outside of the classroom, teachers should consider ways to avoid potential issues.
Potential Hazards

Social media sites can be great for informing students and families of important updates related to classwork, homework or projects, classroom reminders, and relevant community events. But, if not used wisely, social media can cause serious problems for teachers.

First, teachers should consider boundaries between professional and personal lives. If teachers wish to connect and communicate with students and their families online, they should make sure to keep postings and photos appropriate and professional. Teachers have been fired for posting images where they are holding alcoholic beverages, using inappropriate language, and expressing certain views. For example, a second grade teacher was fired for sharing on Facebook that he was against dairy farming ( Nethers, 2014).

If teachers use social media sites to inform students and families about classroom events, successes, or general reminders, confidentiality becomes a concern. Sharing test scores or trends, including children's names in announcements, or posting images of students and their work could potentially violate their right to privacy and other laws. Posting a congratulatory sentiment about a child successfully reaching a new level in a reading program is something that should not be shared online in a quasi-public forum.
Considerations and Tips
The International Society for Technology in Education ( ISTE) provides national standards for computer science educators, coaches, administrators, K-12 students, and teachers. The standards for teachers include the expectation that teachers should model, teach, and advocate the safe, ethical, and legal use of technology ( ISTE, n.d.). So, the onus is on teachers to be aware and diligent in using technology in appropriate and productive ways.

Crompton (2014) elaborates on ISTE Standards for Teachers 4: Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility and suggests that teachers model appropriate technology use on a regular basis for students. This implies having ongoing dialogue and explicit examples in lessons across subject areas. Crompton recommends using safe, secure internet programs such as ePals for students to practice digital etiquette and appropriate interactions. The notion is that light discussion is not sufficient. Teachers must model, monitor, and directly teach students to be savvy and safe digital citizens within and beyond classroom walls.

Pappas ( 2013) provides guidelines for teachers to follow on Facebook. He recommends keeping personal Facebook pages personal, creating a professional classroom Facebook page, and following the school's Facebook policies. If a school does not have a Facebook policy, Fogg-Phillips (2011) states that schools should create one and update it every year. She also recommends teaching children about discernment with accepting friends on Facebook and understanding that accepted friends will then have access to very personal information.

As far as teachers accepting friends on Facebook, she advises against it. Why? "When a teacher friends his or her students, it crosses the line of professionalism and creates a feeling of familiarity that can create potential problems for both the student and the teacher" ( Fogg-Phillips, 2011).

What about teachers connecting with parents and students' families on Facebook? Along with Pappas and Fogg-Phillips, Toppo (2012) suggests creating and using a Facebook classroom page rather than using personal Facebook account. Using a personal account to connect with students and their families can lead to blurred lines and boundaries and the oversharing of personal information. It can be awkward if a parent makes a friend request to a teacher and it is ignored or rejected. So, teachers should be proactive and share the classroom digital policy and ways to connect virtually at the beginning of the school year through a letter or newsletter to students' families. Most principals like to approve such communication before it is distributed.

Universities are increasingly using social media to better engage college students in traditional lecture style classes. Businesses continue to explore using social media to increase customer interest and help establish brands. So, to better prepare children for higher education and the workforce, it makes sense for teachers to equip them early on for the future. But, in K-12 classrooms, safety should be a high priority.

Twitter, for example, is becoming a popular social media avenue to increase both in-class and after-class discussion. KQED (n.d.) suggests the following tips for using Twitter:

Help students evaluate whether or not something is okay to be shared online;

Encourage kindness by discussing the importance of empathy;

Promote critical thinking and encourage discussion by asking students questions like "Do you know the people who look at your profile?" and "What are some different ways your Tweet could be interpreted?";

Start a conversation about protecting personal information and controlling settings.

The take away for teachers is to be direct, explicit, and diligent in addressing social media use with both students and their families. Password-protected blog sites and school-approved sites are probably safer places to socially connect during and after school. Toppo shares that Edmodo is a more education-friendly site that can be used. If teachers use social media within or beyond classroom walls, confidentiality, professionalism, legal guidelines, and common sense should be used. If in doubt, ask the school principal for guidance.
References
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2011). Children and Social Networking. Retrieved from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/Children_and_Social_Networking_100.aspx

Crompton, H. (2014). Know the ISTE Standards for Teachers: Model digital citizenship. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=142

Davis, M. (2015). Social media for teachers: Guides, resources, and ideas. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources-educators-matt-davis

Fogg-Phillips, L. (2011). 5 tips for teachers to navigate Facebook's features and risks. Retrieved from http://www.wnyc.org/story/302590-5-tips-for-teachers-to-navigate-facebooks-features-and-risks/

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (n.d.). Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers

KQED. (n.d.). Guide to using Twitter in your teaching practice. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/education/how-to-use-twitter-in-your-teaching-practice/

Nethers, D. (2014). Vegan teacher fired over Facebook post. Retrieved from http://fox8.com/2014/12/12/vegan-teacher-fired-over-facebook-post/

Pappas, C. (2013). The Facebook guide for teachers. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/the-facebook-guide-for-teachers

PewResearchCenter. (n.d.). Social Networking Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

Toppo, G. (2012). Should parents 'friend' their child's teacher? Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/backtoschool/story/2012-09-05/teachers-facebook/57581640/1
About the Author
Dr. Kathleen Tate has over 18 years of experience as a special education teacher, researcher, and professor. She is Professor and Program Director of Teaching in the School of Education at American Public University. She received a B.A. in Soviet & East European Studies with a minor in Economics and M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. in Elementary Education from Florida State University. Dr. Tate also has lifetime Texas teaching certificates in Elementary 1st-8th, PreK-12th Special Education, and 1st-8th Theatre Arts; and completed graduate coursework for Visual Impairment Certification PreK-12th. Her research interests include humane education; mixed methods research; underserved/underrepresented populations; arts-based, multimedia, and multimodal teaching and learning; and integrated/thematic instruction.

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Social Media Hazards and Tips for Teachers - EduTrendsOnline

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By Kathleen J. Tate, Ph.D. Professor and Program Director of Teaching, School of Education, American Public University Social media continues to play a significant part in many people's lives, including those of teachers, students, and families. Recent statistics on social media users indicate that 74 percent of online adults use social networking sites as of [...]

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Ways on how to use social media in classroom.

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Ways on how to use social media in classroom.

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Track student work over the course of the year. Take pictures of the progression of a student project or track their learning.

Use it to post homework. Ask them to write about the significance of a posted photo — perhaps a map, person, or document.

Share classroom news with parents and faculty. Showcase student work.

Remind students of upcoming class events.

Create out of class study groups using specific hashtags. Give the group a question and ask each member to contribute to the hashtag.

Flip the classroom by posing questions and asking the students to contribute. Students will be ready to discuss the questions in class.

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I found most of these ideas can be used with either Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter unless otherwise noted.

Track student work over the course of the year. Take pictures of the progression of a student project or track their learning.

Use it to post homework. Ask them to write about the significance of a posted photo - perhaps a map, person, or document.

Share classroom news with parents and faculty. Showcase student work.

Remind students of upcoming class events.

Create out of class study groups using specific hashtags. Give the group a question and ask each member to contribute to the hashtag.

Flip the classroom by posing questions and asking the students to contribute. Students will be ready to discuss the questions in class.

Send out an occasional extra credit question.

Share field trips or extracurricular activities.

Create a tweet as a literary character. Give the students a topic and asks them to tweet as the character would.

Create a tweet as a historical character. Give the students a current event and ask them to tweet as a historical figure would have.

Use Instagram to feature a student of the week.

In language class, use Snapchat to take a picture of an item and label it in the appropriate language.

Take videos of real life examples of the content as a study guide or ask students to identify the video based on the content.

Ask students to annotate an image provided by you, identifying key elements on a map or a picture.

Use Twitter for extended office hours. Advise students that they can tweet you at certain times of the day.

Use Twitter to take a poll using a certain hashtag.

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16 Ways Teachers Can Use Social Media in the Classroom

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I found most of these ideas can be used with either Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter unless otherwise noted. Track student work over the course of the year. Take pictures of the progression of a student project or track their learning. Use it to post homework.

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Social media interaction between students and teachers (elementary)

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Social media interaction between students and teachers (elementary)