K-12 Teachers in America Remain Reluctant to Integrate Social Media in the Classroom, Finds University of Phoenix Teacher Sur...
August 23 2016 - 1:56PM
Business Wire
Only 14 percent use social media in the
classroom and majority are concerned about conflicts
The majority of Americans engage in social media in some way1,
but the one place they may not be experiencing it is in K-12
schools. Nearly nine in ten (86 percent) K-12 teachers have not
integrated social media into their classrooms and the majority (62
percent) indicate they do not plan to do so, according to a recent
University of Phoenix® College of Education survey of teachers
nationwide conducted online by Harris Poll.
Despite increasing use and popularity of social platforms
outside of the classroom2, these numbers have stayed virtually the
same since 2015, and, in fact, teacher use in the classroom has
decreased since late 2013, when close to one-in-five (18 percent)
indicated they integrated social media into the classroom.
“While there is understandably some hesitancy to incorporate
social media into the classroom, there is a wealth of opportunity
for teachers to use social media to enhance the student learning
experience,” said Kathy Cook, dean of educational technology for
University of Phoenix College of Education and former K-12
educator. “The first steps to using social media as an educational
tool is acknowledging its impact on the lives of today’s students
and teaching them about the importance of digital citizenship. If
K-12 students experience social media in a productive environment
like the classroom, it can help set the tone for their future
usage.”
Forty-five percent of teachers agree that participation in
social media with their teachers can enhance a student’s
educational experience, according to the survey3. This increases
substantially among those who have actually integrated social media
in their classrooms, with 80 percent of these teachers saying
social media can enhance a student’s educational experience4.
Social Media Setbacks
The survey also reveals four in five (81 percent) K-12 teachers
remain worried about the conflicts that can occur from using social
media with their students and/or parents (82 percent agreed in
2015). Only one in five (19 percent) teachers5 indicate they are
intimidated by students’ knowledge/use of technology devices.
“There can be a disconnect for students when the technology they
use to learn and communicate in their daily lives is absent from
the classroom,” said Cook. “Learning how to effectively leverage
social media in a classroom setting can help enhance the experience
for students and teachers alike. While many assume the popular
consumer social media tools are the only options for educators,
there are actually many social tools that are designed for the K-12
environment and that have custom security options.”
Despite low classroom usage, the survey indicates more than four
in five (83 percent) teachers use social media personally and more
than one-third (35 percent) use it professionally to communicate
with colleagues, students and parents. Nearly one-third (31
percent) have experienced issues with students and/or parents
connecting with them on social media. More than three-quarters of
K-12 teachers (76 percent) say parents sometimes use social media
to monitor teachers’ work and/or personal lives.
To help address some of the ethical dilemmas teachers face in
the classroom environment, including social media, University of
Phoenix has integrated ethical decision making into coursework and
offers specific Continuing Education for Teachers courses to help
teachers navigate the increasingly social landscape.
Tips to Help Teachers ‘Like’ Social Media for Classroom
Use
Cook says integrating social media in the classroom can be
challenging for teachers, but also very rewarding. Cook offers the
following tips for engaging students in the classroom using social
media platforms.
- Start small. Start a closed
classroom Facebook group and encourage students to post and
interact with each other. This is an excellent way for students to
incorporate a popular social channel into a learning opportunity.
From there, build out lesson plans that involve social media
platforms. Other options include starting a topical Twitter feed or
requiring students to blog about educational topics.
- Create boundaries. Develop
guidelines for how you plan to interact with students and parents
and communicate it clearly. Set these policies early on and stick
to the plan. Having students help develop guidelines can also help
them set boundaries in their own personal social media usage.
- Be channel agnostic. With so
many tools at your disposal, it’s important to focus on what you
want to accomplish and then determine the channel. Also, don’t be
afraid to engage students in the process of figuring out what is
right for the classroom. It can be a great critical thinking
exercise and a way to empower students to make choices in their
learning experiences.
- Continue learning. In today’s
changing digital world, it is important for teachers to be equipped
with the knowledge and skills needed to perform effectively in the
classroom. Continuing Education for Teachers courses are an option
for teachers wanting to educate themselves on the newest technology
or how to use social media. University of Phoenix offers a
‘Cyberethics for Educators’ course in which students study digital
and ethical-decision making both inside and outside the
classroom.
- Be Social. Engage with other
teachers in social media to learn what they are doing and find
great ideas for projects. The more engaged teachers are personally
in social media, the easier it can be to understand the
implications and limitations for their classrooms.
For general information about University of Phoenix programs,
including on-time completion rates, the median debt incurred by
students who completed the program and other important information,
please visit www.phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment.
Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving
institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm
whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be
accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.
1
http://www.pewresearch.org/data-trend/media-and-technology/social-networking-use/
2
http://www.pewresearch.org/data-trend/media-and-technology/social-networking-use/
3 Survey of 1,005 U.S. full-time employed K-12 teachers who have
at least an undergraduate degree conducted online within the United
States by Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix between
April 14 and 25, 2016.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by
Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix between April 14 and
25, 2016. Respondents included 1,005 U.S. residents employed
full-time as teachers in grades K-12 who have at least an
undergraduate degree. For complete survey methodology, including
weighting variables, please contact Amanda Barchilon at
Amanda.Barchilon@apollo.edu.
About University of Phoenix® College of Education
University of Phoenix College of Education has been educating
teachers and school administrators for more than 30 years. The
College of Education provides bachelor’s and master’s degree
programs for individuals who want to become teachers or current
educators and administrators seeking advanced degrees to strengthen
their professional knowledge. With education programs available
throughout most of the U.S., the College of Education has a
distinct grasp of the national education picture and priorities for
teacher preparation. Faculty members on average bring more than 17
years of professional experience to the classroom. For more
information, visit phoenix.edu/education.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help working
adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly
changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses,
and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue
career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives.
As a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL),
University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering
associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs from
campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online
throughout the world. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160823006185/en/
University of PhoenixAmanda Barchilon,
602-557-8641Amanda.Barchilon@apollo.edu
Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:APOL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:APOL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024