Social Media in Education: Embracing EdTech in the Classroom

Written by Knovva Academy

three students sharing a laptop and using social media for education.

Several years ago, a photo of school children staring at their mobile phones in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam went viral and many questioned the use of social media. However, the students were not ignoring the famous painting, but rather using the museum’s own virtual tour to gain a deeper understanding of the Dutch Golden Age work of art. Although many educators avoid using certain platforms in their classroom, there are many different uses of social media in education.

By giving students a virtual tour, the Amsterdam Museum quickly and easily provided new generations with more context and information than could have ever fit on a small museum label. And, since students spend 10 hours a day on their phone, using virtual tours and other technology is an ideal way to reach Generation Z (and beyond).

Forward-thinking educators are taking note. Today’s students are growing up in a digital world. They are as familiar with smartphone apps as students were decades ago with overhead projectors. Rather than fighting the tide, you can use social media for education.

Our educational nonprofit has some creative ways to help you embrace technology and use it as a teaching tool.

Video Production Assignments

One of the easiest ways to implement the use of social media for education is by embracing your students’ love of video content.

For example, instead of writing a long, well sourced, impeccably footnoted essay, they could produce a video on YouTube or a series of TikTok videos that impart the same information in an attractive, engaging, and easy to digest format. Not only will the students enjoy the assignment more, but they’ll likely absorb the information better and be more likely to share their videos with peers.

If improving writing ability is one of the learning objectives of the course, they could instead build out a Wikipedia article, or even use social media to collaborate on a new article together as a class project.

Utilize Hashtags in the Classroom

Students already communicate amongst themselves on social media. Meet them there by establishing a class hashtag. For example, you could write and share, “What’s the homework tonight? #4thPeriodEnglish,” and encourage students to have helpful conversations around assignments.

Allow Phone Use to Make the Learning Process More Fun

Our online learning platform also maintains group chats for students before, during, and after our summits, forums, and task forces to enable continued discussion among the cohorts of our international students.

You can do something similar in a traditional in-person classroom though. Rather than ban phones as a distraction, you could instead:

Use apps and other tools to keep students engaged.
Project questions onto a screen and let students use their phones to answer them.
Add a speed element and see who in the class can answer the most correct answers.

Students think they are playing a game and you get real time feedback on how much of the information they are absorbing. Pop quizzes have never been so much fun!

Check Out Our Upcoming Model G20^® Programs

Digital Age technology has disrupted nearly every industry and aspect of modern life, including traditional classrooms. When done correctly though, using social media for education can promote self-directed learning and make assignments more enjoyable for students. Reinforcing these skills in the classroom empowers students to think critically and independently, and leads to better educational outcomes.

Encouraging your students to take part in interactive programs outside of the classroom can also benefit them and lead to more engaging discussion with their peers. Our educational nonprofit’s Model G20^® summit allows students to meet virtually and take on the various roles of G20 representatives. They learn to communicate with students from all around the world, develop arguments, and present their policy ideas, all from the comfort of their own home.