The 3E's of teaching success

Every industry has recognised the power of the social media, and so has the education sector. They can blend learning and play into one, reducing the gap between teacher and student and enhancing the learning atmosphere in and outside the classroom.

Students spend much of their time online, especially on social media like Facebook, where some have their teachers as “friends”. It’s a good way for the teachers to monitor their protégés and assign homework, but it can be much more than just another way of exercising authority. 

The social media are all about connecting, interacting, collaborating and having the ability to control time, space and content. This is “the power of 3E” – the three levels for helping students succeed.

_ E1 is Engage

It’s not easy to keep students focused and engaged, and some don’t like talking directly to their teacher. 

Since I began using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogging to communicate with my students, the learning environment has dramatically improved. I can engage them in the lessons, get them to share what they know and what their opinions are. The group discussions that ensue mean there’s a greater variety of knowledge being learned by the whole class. 

These new media also help students create their own learning tools and publish their work online so that they get public feedback, which in turn stimulates them to put in more effort. The process gives them pride, and they perceive their assignments as being more meaningful.

The key to success is letting the students choose what, when, where and how they can study.

_ E2 is Enthusiasm

Getting quick, real-time advice from the teacher keeps students enthusiastic. Seeing others sharing knowledge in Facebook groups drives them to join in and study together. 

The teacher needs to be a role model – do what you teach them to do and show them how it works. Show your own enthusiasm about communicating. Be committed and the whole class will work harder, because no one wants to be left behind.

_ E3 is Efficiency

The main idea here is to focus on what the students want and what they use, rather than the teacher’s preferred approach. The effective collaboration that educators set up with students turns the relationship into a learning partnership, creating a high level of mutual understanding in the classroom and guaranteeing maximum learning efficiency at every level. 

By integrating the social media as learning tools, you merge theory with practice. Your students go beyond just discovering a topic – they get directly involved in it.