Student Engagement with Media

Eric Stoller, (August 5, 2012), Social Media Increases Students Engagement
Inside Higher Ed: Retrieved from:
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/student-affairs-and-technology/social-media-increases-student-engagement

This article talks about how social media does, if used correctly, increase student engagement. He uses what I feel is a great analogy about how a carpenter from the 1900's in today's world can still build a house and be a carpenter, but with advances in tool's his trade has evolved a lot. He is basically saying that social media is a tool that educators can use to help aid student learning. But a tool itself cannot teach someone how to build something, it still needs a knowledgeable person to use said tool to be useful.

I think that Stoller is right on the money with this. Today, student's are all over many forms of social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat is what they do all day everyday. Why not reach and teach them where they are at already? Picking up a book or heading to the library is not what students do now, they use their smart phone, tablet, or laptop computer as learning tools so this goes together beautifully in my opinion.

My district this school year has gone to using Schoology for teachers, students, and parents. Things like grades, assignments, classroom updates, and tests can be done on Schoology. Best thing for students is that it resembles something very familiar to most of them......Facebook. Using this media tool for student learning is wonderful and it is my hope that all of us can take advantage of this tool.