STEAM Teachers Turn to Social Media for Resources and Training
Teachers who focus on STEAM education have been turning to websites and social media for a while now as a way to both augment their lessons and for professional development. A survey conducted by the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM concluded that 92% of participants use popular websites to complement their teaching.
YouTube is the top choice for professional development, thanks to its easy-to-access nature and the vast quantity of videos available. We’ve already discussed the effectiveness of video on learning, so be sure to view that article, as well.
We’re going to discuss how social media can be used as a learning tool, especially for STEAM teachers.
Incorporating Social Media Into the Classroom
Teachers around the country and, indeed, around the world, are putting their students’ social media affinity to good use by integrating it into their classrooms and curricula. Teachers are engaging with students who are generally shy regarding classroom participation but who enjoy online communication.
These kinds of students are encouraged to participate in classroom learning using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Additionally, teachers can include multimedia presentations in their curricula online and receive instant feedback from their learners.
With social media, students can collaborate beyond the confines of their classroom. Teachers are also able to interact with their students, which leads to better student-teacher relationships.
Social Networking for STEAM Teachers
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math teachers can benefit from social media and websites as a means to supplement their teaching. There are plenty of resources online to help students gain a better understanding of their material, especially when it comes to subjects that are trickier to grasp, like math and science.
One of the most popular social media used by STEAM teachers is YouTube, which has millions of videos uploaded to the platform every day. The content ranges anywhere from reviews, talk shows, book recommendations, and even educational videos.
Kurzgesagt is a YouTube channel that publishes an educational video every week. They cover a range of topics, from astronomy to physics, biology, art, and much more. The channel is an excellent resource for STEAM teachers looking to explain their difficult concepts to their students in simpler terms.
SLMS for STEAM
As you may know, an LMS is a platform that helps teachers organize educational materials online and conduct courses online. They help streamline the learning process for K-12 schools around the world.
Pedagogue is an SLMS that merges social media features with traditional LMS aspects to increase learning effectiveness. STEAM teachers can make use of Pedagogue as a way to engage with their students regarding their content outside of the classroom. They can even post videos, like the ones from Kurzgesagt, to a class board for learners to view.
Concluding Thoughts
Social media has become a staple in billions of people’s lives, and it is a part of our everyday lives. Thus, it is only natural to use it as a valuable educational resource to boost teachers’ and learners’ educational experience.