Do you even SnapChat?

I'm an avid SnapChat user--mostly because I'm obsessed with my dog, but that's besides the point. At the beginning of this course, I was especially interested in how this application could be used for learning, and how educators were using it.

I found an article with recommendations, and I could see this being a fun tool for students and teachers. I've linked the article here so that you all can read it as well, but figured I'd outline the key points.

Snap-Pros
1. Topics of the day/for the next day can be briefly covered
2. Discussion questions can be posted for later that day
3. Tips for homework/studying

Snap-Cons
1. Limited age group (at least 13 years old)
2. Negative stigma of social media

Personally, I'd be hesitant to use the app in a classroom with as many concerns there are with teacher-student relationships, but I think the article did well to point out that the account could be set up as one-directional: students could follow the account, but the account wouldn't be allowed to follow students.

Another potential issue I could see is requesting students to participate. It was mentioned in the article to make it seem like the students would be missing out, but I fear it may cause students to be limited. For example, if SnapChat was used to give students tips for the quiz/test, other resources would need to be provided to the students who didn't follow the account. The teacher would need to ensure that students were provided the same opportunities as others.

All in all, I believe that SnapChat should be reviewed as a potential resource. I could identify many benefits, but the cons would need to be further analyzed/discussed before implementing.