This post was originally commissioned for the Career Academy Blog for the Digital Learning Day. This is part one of three. You can read the original post here.

Digital Learning Day: Part 3

Social media does not only impact students and teachers. Social media can have a large impact on the parents of students as well. Parents are also using social media in many different ways, and embracing social media for good and education can increase parent awareness, communication with teachers, and continue their learning as well.

Parents may feel behind the current trends from time to time. Social media is a way to stay on top of the trends and assure that they are aware of what their students are doing. Social media is a way to get breaking news, connect with their children, and connect with the school. Social media can impact how parents are informed about the school as well. Staying current and understanding the newest trends in social media can greatly make parents aware of what their students are up to on their devices. Using social media, parents can also stay on top of the tech-savvy teachers classroom. This can greatly impact the student’s educational success as well. Staying in contact with what is happening in the classroom can impact the conversations that you have with your students. For instance, if you know that a math class learned about calculating the distance, time, and rate of speed, you can use how we use that everyday to assure that we are on time. Social media can connect parents, teachers, and students to reinforce and become a team of learners. Social media will allow parents to have real conversations with their students that add relevance to their schooling.

Parents being positively active on social media can impact their student’s education. Reaching out and have a large network can impact the opportunities that are created for the student. For instance, if you work in downtown South Bend and are connected with many of the business owners and managers at local establishment, you can provide your student with an excellent foot in the door. Partner that with positive modeling of social media that is witnessed by your student, and you are creating a recipe for success! Reaching out to teachers and finding ways to connect can also increase student opportunities. If you are struggling with helping your child with homework, social media can provide a way to connect with someone that can help, whether it is the teacher, a professional, or a tutor. Either way, the positive benefits are incredible. As an active member of social media, you can connect and create a professional learning network for yourself with people of your profession, or create a network of parents that are helping their students. This can lead to incredible opportunities for you and your student.

As a parent on social media, you can stay on top of what is happening at the school and make sure that you are there to assist your student in learning. While social media can have its drawbacks, it can also provide numerous meaningful opportunities to you and your students. Model great social media behavior and participate in building a professional learning network, and you will find that social media can have a significant positive impact on your life.