Social Media in Classrooms...Enabler??

I was inclined to write on this as there were couple of tweets where the discussion revolved around the usage of Social Media in Classroom and how its assists the students & teachers alike. And here I present my take on it...

Though overwhelming majority are still unsure about the usage of SM in classrooms but it seems that the pros clearly outweight the risks associated with it.

Imagine, the classroom discussion spans to Twitter, where the students share a # tag & we could see participation from outside the school too...And so there is a message which was limited to a small stream of thoughts & now it being discussed over a wider platform, imagine the result...This is a great enabler!!!

We have always known that the internet has penetrated quite deep & you like it or not, the students are using it at much bigger scale than what we can imagine. And now with the trends of smartphones, they are seamlessly connected. Then why not adopt the new technology & ensure that the schools get in sync with its students.

Here are my ideas for school to utilize Social Media:

1. Promote usage - Simply put, you cannot stop the usage, better ride the wave & promote usage, but yes I am all for moderation & having restrictions (undoubtedly)

2. Engage students - Interactivity amongst students fosters learning, so ensure various activities are published on the Social Media where students can participate

A school page on Facebook

 

Example:

Here's the Facebook page of NC State University Graduate School.  A student asking for materials & so on..The students will surely engage, when relevant collateral - notes, assignments, videos, events are shared.

3. Ensure Participation

We many a time mistake engagement with participation. Taking a holistic view of the type of students in the class. This medium might help students who would otherwise be reluctant to raise their doubts. Behind the veil of technology, the schools can as well encourage participation from these student community.

Honestly, this might not replace the existing system of education, but my view is, it can help both the student + teacher community in their desired goals. Its certainly is an enabler!!

Your views??

Increase Social Media ROI

Just got an update on my Twitter - Facebook delivers 3x display ads to its nearest competitor and Amex survey has shown 3x increase in SME business using Social Media.(Seems 3 is a magical number of the day).

One more comScore update says Facebook has led all online publishers in Q1 with about 346b ad impression which is an incredible 31% market share.

Folks, Facebook is everywhere, you like it or not.And here is the market share that you might be losing if you have still not adapted to Social Media.

So how to increase the ROI for a business using Social Media - here's my take:

1. Strategize
Define clear goals, what you want to accomplish using Social Media. You are gaining a much larger audience compared to TV, Radio, Print

2. Excite
Every fan, tweet, retweet, positive feedback, ratings shows that your page/site is being followed/liked.

3. Promote
Ensure you update your pages regularly, have the right offers & information the users can share. Irregular updates can damage the brand health by decreased attention.

4. Metrics
Have tools to generate metrics of your social media campaign. Only you know what is failing & gaining credence.

To conclude, merely having a social presence will not do wonders, it needs serious thoughts & clear goals. You need to get the community interested. The above might help you to start your campaign on the right note. And do forget to measure.

Good Night!!!

Moved...

Yes, you are reading it correctly. The title of the blog has changed too having moved the focus from technology to business and SOA to social media.

And why this change??

While technology is always my first love, it was time that I applied my learning & leanings to understand the business aspect. Since having moved to presales & partner management roles, it was imperative that I learn the nuances of business & thanks to my organisation Mahindra Satyam for offering such roles.

Why Social Media??

Having started my career in the Information Technology industry, I had always relied on friends on the various online forums for help, tips & advice at critical time. Was it not Social Media then? So I am not a late entrant & neither is Social Media new. But with the advent of sites like Twitter, Facebook et al, messaging has become short & quick and the new generation took to it like storm. Add to that the advent of different form factors - smart phones, tablets; instant messaging is the way to go.

So here I am...back to my writing ways & hoping to stay connected more often.

Twitter Handle: malharbarai

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