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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Feb. 8, 2019)—Social media has transformed how we communicate today and has become a valuable tool for making connections. For educators, social media can connect their classrooms to concepts, thinkers and learners from around the globe.
For Dr. Allysha Martin, assistant professor of Spanish and humanities at Milligan, applying social media to her Spanish courses came with little direction. Research on social media’s impact in the language learning classroom remains limited, leading her into a multi-year, intercollegiate research project with the University of Northern Iowa.
Martin will present her research during the college’s upcoming Faculty Lecture Series on Monday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. in Wilson Auditorium located in Hardin Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
Her presentation, “Building Community with Social Media in the Language Classroom,” will address how students can use social media to practice second language communication skills and build a community of language learners.
“Social media has transformed our lives and personal interactions, and teachers are incorporating it into the classroom to engage students,” said Martin. “However, there hasn’t been much research on how this can be used effectively in the Spanish classroom, much less in a Spanish literature course. While there are real benefits, we found there are some complications.”
Martin’s presentation will outline how she used Twitter to engage language learners of various levels and how other social media platforms can be utilized to engage students. Her presentation also will offer insights to educators across disciplines about the benefits and concerns of social media’s use.
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.