Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University

Clicking on "Like": Making Classroom Connections with Social Networking Sites

Hart 117

Your students love it, and aren't likely to give it up any time soon: a study released in February found email use among teenagers down 59% as they increasingly rely on social networking sites to stay in touch with friends. But for you, sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a distraction when students would rather update their status than pay attention in class. This session will show how to use Twitter and other sites to your advantage. Far from a passing fad, social networking can be an effective communication tool that can be used to engage students who are reluctant to participate in class, collect instantaneous feedback on your content-delivery methods, and make larger classes seem smaller with a constant dialogue between students and professors. This session will offer an overview of popular social networking tools and offer 10 strategies for using them in class.