ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a closer look at how to use social media to set up a global classroom. There are many areas in which social media can be useful in students’ learning: language skills, interpersonal skills, learning about cultural differences, the list is long. How about finding a class in Europe to practice your French? When learning about world religions, how about discussing with people from different parts of the world? In this chapter, we look into a range of social media and how we can use it to communicate outside the classroom – transforming the way we learn. We take a closer look at Twitter, blogs, RSS feeds, Skype, and Facebook. We share practical examples from classrooms with teachers experienced in this area. Sharing your story with BBC World Service and getting a mention in the Washington Post are some of the examples. We also take a closer look at how the use of social media can lead to contacts around the world, in this case a lasting friendship between students from Norway and Lesotho.
