Snapchat is immensely popular among the younger crowd, particularly the millennial generation and those born before the digital age. The social messaging app is mainly used for social interactions between friends: sharing videos, texts and messages. The fact that it’s so popular has made it attractive for other uses as well. In fact, you may find that incorporating Snapchat into your classroom is not only possible but a great way to engage students.
Let’s look at some of the unique ways that you can use Snapchat to brighten up your classroom curriculum.
Teaching from a Distance
How many times have you dealt with students who didn’t understand an assignment or had questions about an upcoming project? Using Snapchat, you can coach students through a task and ensure that they are all on the same page. This saves time and frustration, as you don’t have to go through the trouble of writing out instructions and explaining them.
Communicating with Students
If your students are spending their time on Snapchat, why not engage them on this social app? It’s effortless on their part because they are already using the app to communicate with friends and peers. You can use the app to communicate just about anything, from due date reminders, to classroom expectations to updates on future assignments.
Language Learning
If you happen to teach a foreign language course, Snapchat is an amazing tool to have in your back pocket. The social app can be used similarly to a set of flashcards. Here’s what you would do. Send a word and request a picture back, or vice versa. It’s a fun and interactive way to encourage students to learn a second language. Not to mention, you can add your foreign language teaching style to your college blog!
Storytelling Assignments
Snapchat also has the ability to bring some pizzazz to basic assignments. Whether it’s students acting out parts of a play, performing a science experience or interviewing people, Snapchat does a great job of condensing material in a memorable manner. When there is meaning to an assignment, students are much more likely to retain the information.
Conclusion
Snapchat may be just another social media platform, but there are endless ways to utilize the app in the traditional classroom. If you haven’t yet played around with it, we encourage you to do so. This way, you can get a better idea for how the app works and the ways that it can be used to enhance your classroom lectures. Have fun!
