The efficiency of a teacher is gauged by his knowledge of where the pupils are coming from.  This knowledge can likewise be measured if a teacher knows the world the pupils live in.  And the world of today’s pupils is nothing but the social media.

 

Gone are the days when pupils turn to the library and the encyclopedia for research.  Photographs are no longer posted on albums.  Memorable memories of life are no longer entered into the diary.  And worst, pupils no longer pray before eating.

 

Changes consumed the live of today’s pupils and social media is evidently the cause of such changes.  Researches are now through the internet.  Photographs are now seen on Instagram.  Memories are stocked on Flickr.  And they take pictures of what to eat than praying before eating.

 

Teachers are faced with the challenge of how to use social media as teaching and learning tool.  To survive the challenge, teachers have to enter the world of the pupils.  However, there is a need to enter their door and leave through a teacher’s own door.

 

A picture posted in the Instagram of a pupil can be a jump off point to a lesson.  Find way to integrate the picture to the lesson on appreciation of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium. A message posted in the Facebook account of a pupil can generate views on essay written by great Filipino writers. 

 

Through such things, multi media can become a learning tool for the students and the teacher can take advantage of the pupils’ familiarity with it as an alternative teaching tool without sacrificing the lesson for the day. 

 

That’s entering the pupils’ world through their door and leaving their world through the teacher’s own door.

By: Rhodora E. Carlos | Teacher III | Bilolo Elementary School | Orion, Bataan