After reading the Professional Guidance on the Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media document issued by GTC Scotland, I found that they have accepted that social media (and other internet applications) is becoming an essential tool in the classroom. In this document they outline both the benefits and challenges of using these tools in the classroom. One benefit is that social media can be incredibly engaging for pupils, therefore they could be learning complex concepts without really realising it. Also, depending on the schools IT skills and resources, it is now possible to connect classrooms in other communities and countries. This is incredibly exciting for children and is really educational. Social media will also allow children to chat with each other and help one another with homework, and, it will allow them to form friendships and build bonds with other children.

One limitation of using social media is that many members of the public don’t have any trust in social media and can only see the dangers of it. Due to this ‘fear’ they cannot see how it can benefit pupils and how it can promote children accessing work at home. Another challenge is that, if not used in the correct manner, the boundary between the teacher and the pupil can become blurred.

Everyone using social media should be careful what they post, as when something goes online it will remain live there forever. Although teachers have the right to a private life, they should remain cautious to what they post, as in time it could affect their professional life. Social media encourages people to have casual conversations, for parents this could be appealing. If they want to tell their child’s teacher something or query something which happened in the classroom, they may decide to look them up on social media (eg Facebook) and message them. This is not a professional way of dealing with parental concerns, and teachers should avoid doing this. Therefore it crucial that teachers make all of their online accounts private and perhaps change their name.

Also, if the teacher wishes to communicate with their pupils over the internet, they should use a formal and professional tone, in order to maintain existing professional boundaries and they should only use official channels such as GLOW. Also, teachers should avoid becoming ‘friends’ online and they should never share private information that they would not wish to share in the classroom.

Overall, I feel that social media and use of the internet in classes is an engaging and exciting new way of teaching and learning. Although it has many limitations and dangers, as long as it is used correctly and managed in a professional manner it should be most definitely be encouraged in schools.