ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
Professor Amanda Kern doesn't teach 140 characters at a time, but she does teach how to make 140 characters on Twitter effective for her students at Valencia College.
Kern's graphic design students will also graduate with plenty of side lessons in social media because Professor Kern is a recent graduate herself -- of 'social media school for teachers.'
"The more I've gotten in to the major the more the professors have been pushing social media, simply because it's an easier way for all of us to connect," explains graphic design student Bry Crasch.
His classmate Lacy Dillon agrees, "Plus, we can share our ideas with each other... communicate with each other even [when] we're not in the same class."
The push for social media in the classroom has grown since another Valencia College professor Josh Murdock began teaching teachers how to use it. "It's becoming commonplace in many job markets that require social media skills," explains Professor Josh. "It didn't exist 3 or 4 years ago… where it is now."
That's the true value for social media in college, Murdock believes, helping students land their first job. "It's becoming such a key part of the workforce and networking. I think this is the way people are keeping contacts in the 21st century," Murdock says. "It's really changed how we connect with people."
