Social media means ways of sharing information, opinions, images, videos using the Internet. Today Social Media is also being used for educational purposes. The way social media is changing education has affected how students express themselves, behave and interact with each other. Social media has been influencing our lives for quite some time now and the trend of using it, is increasing by the day. Today, teachers use YouTube to show students different kinds of videos related to their subjects and hence their productivity has gone miles ahead. As students use Facebook nowadays, teachers have come up with this idea of making a common page for all the students to share the updates regarding any changes in class schedule, dates due for assignment submission etc. It helps students keep in touch with their teachers and ask about the difficulties in the lessons while sitting at home. Now, students don’t need to carry heavy books, they can browse and get more information anytime from Wikipedia. It serves as a dictionary not only for students but also for teachers. The use of social media in education helps students, teachers and parents for getting valuable information while connecting with learning groups and other educational systems.
Social network sites and websites provide lots of chances to improve their techniques of learning and teaching to students and schools. Students can benefit themselves through online tutorial exercises through YouTube. Teachers can make the class interesting by making the PowerPoint presentation and can use various pictures and images in it. It helps students retain the information better. Students can connect with their friends and teachers through various communication means such as mobile phones, laptops and personal computers. All these vises need an internet connection to share information easily through social media websites. Students need to share knowledge, opinions, study material with each other.
During this unfortunate outbreak of Covid-19, the impact of coronavirus has reshaped every aspect of normal life. Schools were thrown into uncertainty as the pandemic put a halt to in-person classes. From pre-primary to PHD programs, students across the globe are experiencing the altering effects of coronavirus as classrooms move online. Both teachers and students are burdened with the task of adapting to an online learning environment overnight. As well, many parents have been forced to take on the role of IT technician, teacher, and babysitter as kids remain at home. The consequences of Covid-19 have thrown both families and the education industry into a loop. The sudden switch to digital learning has brought with it a few valuable lessons. The future of education has been transformed to not only accommodate online classrooms, but to embrace digital education. It came with a lot of challenges. Students, parents and teachers were met with a number of unprecedented obstacles.
When there is a change something can go wrong, it usually will whether, its unstable Wi-Fi or a confusing interface. Technology plays a huge role in online learning. Most of us find it quite difficult to adjust to learning and teaching from the confines of a computer screen. It will take a while to adjust; it’s nonetheless an annoyance to undergo.
For younger students especially, keeping a consistent schedule is extremely important for maintaining discipline and motivation. The sudden abruptness of no school has made it much more challenging for students to properly manage their time.
It’s no secret that most parents aren’t exactly delighted to fill the role of teacher especially those who are trying to work from home. Moving to online learning has put parents in a grave situation as many have to struggle to manage their professional and domestic responsibilities. This has placed extra stress on families and may even become financial burden to some.
In fact, the urgent demand for digital learning has been a driving factor for providing resources to students as coronavirus sets new waves of digital transformation.
Mary Pinheiro