Why Social Media Must Have a Place in Schools

Abstract

While most young people regularly consume and produce social media content, many schools focus on what students should not do with these technologies rather than address what students and teachers can do. The authors share ways that some educators leverage social media to enhance the who, when, where, why, how, and what of educational processes.

Key words::

• 21st-century skills
• educational media
• elementary education
• secondary education
• technology in education

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel G. Krutka

Daniel G. Krutka is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Woman's University. His research interests concern citizenship education and the role participatory media might play in cultivating more democratic and educational experiences. He can be found on Twitter@dankrutka. Email: [email protected]

Jeffrey P. Carpenter

Jeffrey P. Carpenter is an Assistant Professor of Education at Elon University in North Carolina. His research interests include collaborative learning, social media, and 21st century teaching and learning. He can be found on Twitter@doccarpenter. Email: [email protected]