The U.S. News and World Report – Alexandra Pannoni
“Social media is popular among teens, but not among their teachers. Eighty-seven percent of K-12 teachers have not integrated social media into classroom learning, according to a new survey from the University of Phoenix College of Education. North Carolina educator Ike Smith says high school teachers may be grappling with how to take social media, which is relatively new, and integrate it into their existing practice. “In high school, another layer to that anxiety can be that my students are also on the social media platform that I may want to use,” says Smith, a former high school teacher, who is now director of instructional support services for Watauga County Schools. Teachers may not know if or how to interact with their students professionally online, he says. Many teachers are worried about conflicts that could arise from using social media with their students and students’ parents, according to the new survey. And some feel intimidated by students’ knowledge and use of technology devices. But Smith thinks high school teachers should move past their fear and embrace social media because there is a lot they can do with it.”(more)