Twitters in Education

I must admit that I was surprised to find how much social media technology was required or suggested for our current class, Materialism and Idealism. There is no disputing that programs like Twitter are an efficient way of communicating. There is no denying the fact that Facebook enables us to connect with friends from long ago. Once again, I cannot disagree with the fact that social bookmarking sites like Delicious are a handy way of keeping track of articles of great interest to your friends and mentors. But there does seem to be a however.

If one thinks about the amount of time we students already spend online or texting on cellphones in our free moments, it is enough to bring a sobering perspective to the use of social media within the classroom. We are absorbed by communication and networking. We want to know what our friends are doing every moment. We learn how to type as few letters as possible in order to get our meaning across in a more efficient manner.

So if we bring social media into the classroom--especially the elementary and secondary classroom where education is something required--are we not merely making education yet another thing to chat about carelessly, to abbreviate, and to take lightly? Many of my professors have expressed their dismay at the increasing appearance of instant messaging slang in academic writing. Will this problem be alleviated with the use of social media?

Perhaps I am merely an ideal seeker, or a nostaligic girl longing for a past that I never knew. But perhaps Education is more than merely a friend to invite into our network.