1. Teaching with Social Networks
By: Sheena Higgins

2. The Social Networks
Select a social network to learn about
by clicking on its corresponding logo.

3. Why Should Teachers Use Twitter?
•To ask for new lesson ideas
• Start a book list
• Schedule professional meetings
• Post useful information for other teachers
• Find summer work or other school employment

4. Why Should Teachers Use Twitter?
•Learn new teaching tools
• Provide daily tips like a word of the day
• Celebrate events like Teacher Appreciation Day
• Tweet about your school’s website or events
• Link photos of your classroom

5. Twitter Reflection
I have never used Twitter because I have always felt
like my life is not important enough for people to follow me on
a day to day basis. However, after reading this article, I
understand many other uses for Twitter especially as I enter
the classroom. Not only was I informed of the many uses for
Twitter for a teacher, but I also learned a few of the technical
parts of tweeting. I also began thinking about how Twitter could
be used to keep in contact with students after reading a
particular quote, “It is not always clear what its professional
uses are.”

6. Why Should Teachers Use
Facebook?
• Start a group for your classroom
• Collaborate with students in the group
• Appoint admins to lead discussions
• Keep in contact with sick students
• Keep in contact with busy parents

7. Why Should Teachers Use
Facebook?
• Post classroom photos to your group
• Post classroom videos to your group
• Mark important due dates on the calendar
• Update all your students by one post
• Or contact individuals through messages

8. Facebook Reflection
To be honest, I did not really learn anything in the
research process for Facebook because I have been on it
for years. I pretty much know my way around the website by
now. As a matter of fact, I would personally not use
Facebook for school reasons because I plan on maintaining
a Facebook as a teacher for personal uses. I also plan on
trying my best to keep my personal life separate from my
professional life. Therefore, I would not allow my students to
befriend me for the purposes I previously listed.
Source

9. Why Should Teachers Use Skype?
•To provide after school assistance
•To bring a field trip to the classroom
•To connect with special needs students
• To involve busy parents from home
• To watch conference presentations

10. Why Should Teachers Use Skype?
• To collaborate with other teachers
• To keep in contact with former students
• To teach about foreign culture and language
• To catch up students who have been ill
• To creatively present performances

11. Skype Reflection
Just like Twitter, I have never used Skype nor did I
realize how many awesome uses it can have for a teacher
and his or her students. I feel like Skype would be the most
useful social network that I have covered because it allows
for so many different things in the classroom. There were a
couple things in the article that I could never have even
imagined such as online field trips and connecting with
special needs students. Unfortunately, Skype is the least
accessible social network because it requires a webcam
while Facebook and Twitter require only a computer or
simply a cell phone with internet access.

12. Twitter Source
Cole, Sonja. (2009, June 04). 25 ways to teach with
Twitter. Retrieved from
http://www.techlearning.com/article/20896

13. Facebook Source
Mathews, B. (2010, October 07). Using Facebook and
other social media as a teaching tool. Retrieved from
http://www.dessci.com/en/company/training/misc/m
athtype_with_social_media.pdf

14. Skype Source
50 awesome ways to use Skype in the classroom.
(2011). Retrieved from
http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-
awesome- ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

15. Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed my PowerPoint covering the
three most popular social networks being integrated into
the classroom. Hopefully I was not the only one who
learned something. With life advancing in so many
directions around us, it is silly to assume that classroom
life should not advance as well. Hopefully in the close
years to come, some of these social networks make it into
college classrooms more frequently and become more
accessible to enter high school and junior high school