Social Media Takeover

Let's face it, we live in a time and age where technology and social media are more important than ever, and our students (and maybe us) would be lost without either one. While society has transformed drastically over the last 20 years, becoming tech savvy, the education world is slow to follow. It appears that the younger generations who are being brought up using social media and technology are much more aware of the implications of certain programs or applications, and they also seem to have an awareness for the events that are going on around them (thanks to sites like Twitter or YouTube). Yet, in the classroom, we still rely on textbooks and chalkboards all which seem a little 'old-school' in relation to what students are capable of doing.

After watching two short YouTube films, Social Media Revolution 2011 and The Shift in New Brunswick Public Education, I was both impressed and shocked by the amount of information that is out on the net and how many people are accessing it.

Social Media Revolution 2011 is a catchy film that puts into perspective all of the information that is out there on the internet. A few things made me go, "Wow!" For example, '1 in 5 people meet online', and 'if Facebook were a country, it'd be the 3rd largest country!'These facts tell me just how important the internet-social media in particular-is to people. It connects us; it is a medium for relationships; it is a source of information.

The second film, The Shift in New Brunswick Public Education, shows the importance of technology
and social media within the classroom. This video makes a strong connection between the way that the world has changed, particularly technology, and education. It makes a point that students, teacher and classrooms need to obtain 21st century skills. In other words, the classroom should evolve to match the world around it. I enjoyed this video and learning about the New Brunswick Public School System. I believe that this is how learning should be; students are hands-on, using technology, and acquiring skills that will prepare them for the 21st century. In the video, it displayed a quote that I think sums up the ideas of this post pretty nicely: "Education is about adapting to a changing world."