photo: Extra Ketchup/ BY-NC-SA

Twitter and Facebook have become more than social networking sites, they are advertising opportunities, social activism outlets, and publishing sources. While businesses attempt to adapt to social networking, schools have begun to explore social networking as a teaching tool. In England the school system is considering adding Facebook and Twitter as lessons in a course called “Digital Communication” under English Studies.

Edexcel, the national exam board, says “this qualification builds on students' interests in digital texts and proved to excite and engage both boys and girls in our pilot. It reflects the changing needs and interests of learners.” Those in opposition of this new criteria, such as Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, state that this class would be another distraction from essential skills, and that students “would be far better gaining a good grasp of English grammar and our great canon of English literature.”

More, plus our analysis, after the jump...

While Edexcel is attempting to launch this new course next year its place isn’t secure. If this does become a new official criteria, I can see American quickly adopting it. The vast majority of young people with access to computers already use Facebook, Twitter and a variety of other blog or social sites. As more parts of our lives becomes digital it is essential to update how and what we teach. With the influx of e-books and online shopping it is necessary for everyone from business manager to writers of the next generation to understand how to successfully use what the internet and new technologies have to offer. Many people and parents would be in opposition to this, claiming this will be a distraction or that children are picking this up on their own. A lot of young  people are teaching themselves through trial and error. Monik Pamecha, 14 year old bloger and founder of Etiole.com,  says that "another advantage of teaching students such things would be actually preparing them for the practical world and if one knows how to use social networks properly, one can surely build a strong PR."

Many colleges are already offering classes teaching how to make applications and online marketing. The time for social media and digital communication to be apart of education criteria has arrived.