Guest Post By Stacey Anderson

As the world changes, teachers have to adjust their teaching methods to get through to their students. Every generation brings out a new set of instructing obstacles, especially with the recent growth of technology. If you're aiming to be a "cool" teacher, or at least a relevant one, you might want to look into using social media in your lesson plans. You could have a much better chance of making an impact this way. Here are some different ways you can incorporate social media into your teaching methods without losing sight of your goals.

Question and Answer Sessions

If your students need to get in touch with you after hours, you could open up the possibility of social network question and answer sessions. A student might post a comment on your wall that you can reply to, or he may send you a tweet that you can "re-tweet" at any time. Having online discussions like this allows multiple students to see the same questions and answers, preventing you from having to go through the same conversation multiple times over. In the end, this could greatly streamline your after-school help.

Scientific Experiments

Who says that science projects have to remain in the chemistry lab? You could have your students conduct studies on the ways social media impacts certain elements of their lives. Fans of The Big Bang Theory may recall an episode where Sheldon and Amy conduct an experiment involving the growth of a rumor. They found that "juicy" rumors (like a couple getting pregnant) grew at a much faster rate than normal rumors (like a person growing a garden). What was the venue for the growth? Technology and social media. Think of the endless possibilities for your classrooms.

Discussion Boards

Many professors in online universities use discussion boards to encourage students to communicate about issues in class. You could do the same with social media and actually issue a grade for a person's participation. By asking students to voice their opinions online, you are encouraging students to think about what they're reading and form genuine views on it. There is no better way to get the information to sink in.

Social media isn't going anywhere, so you might as well embrace it while you can. Otherwise, it will just be a way for your students to forget about class completely. Ask your pupils how they might want to see social media in the classroom, and respond to their requests in a creative way. You may find that this is the perfect teaching tool for you.

Author Bio

Stacy Anderson is a freelance writer and holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and Journalism. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing education and public school job related topics.