Abstract

There has been a recent growth in the use of social media tools in social work education. This edited text presents a series of chapters which discuss social media activities and how they can contribute to student learning, and social work practice. The contributors, all innovators in the use of social media, introduce the landscape and discuss how social media activities have begun to impact on both social work education and on practice. The professional codes of practice and the values and ethics questions such activities can raise are introduced and explored across the chapters.

Packed with practical examples and exercises, this innovative textbooks is a useful tool for students, practitioners and academics new to using social media in their teaching. 

This book really welcomes students, professionals and academics who are computer literate or newbies to the world of social media in the context of social work education. The book has certainly been designed due to the lack of literature round social media in social work and education, and how we can use these tools to enhance one’s learning in a positive manner. Throughout the course of the chapters, it goes through how social work academics in their professional lives have used social media tools and activities to contribute to student learning and practice education.

In my own opinion, this is very suitable to the course. Social media is always going to be here and as social work students, professionals or academics we are going to come face-to-face with these platforms somewhere in our professional or personal lives. This can cause real serious ethical dilemmas for us as practitioners, and the book clearly outlines this in a positive but effective manner.

The book should be used a resource to all modules within social work education, because social media has a profound effect on everyday life. Issues round: racism, gender, disability and difference is amplified by social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Therefore, it is important for social work students from a very early one to have a grasp of this in order to support their practice placements and learning.

All the authors have very unique styles, and I was pleased with all of them. However, without a doubt credit has to be made to Denise Turner for her comical outlook on social media when she went back into education. I found her chapter really enduring to read, and I had a bundle of laughs with it.

Certainly, this book certainly draws upon a topic that I have never seen within the literature before. It is taking on a new age of social work and social work education. There needs to be more books out there covering social media within social work education and I believe that the #smiswe team has really got the ball rolling on this one.

I do believe they have all produced this book passionately and critically, they should be all really pleased with the work they have produced over the last coming months.

This book is really something. It is one of the first books to come and tackle a big situation in social work and social work education and that should be credited. Social Media is always going to be here and it is academics who have contributed to this book that are embracing social media into social work and education and using it to bring about positive outcomes for everyone who may be using these platforms.

All the contributors to this book have shown they are knowledgeable within the realms of social media and show they are contently looking for ways in order to support progression and learning through the tool they are given when we are in a climate of budget cuts and lack of recourses.

Fantastic work, amazing book.

Joanne Westwood is a qualified social worker and senior lecturer. Her research focusses on child welfare policies and practice. Joanne teaches social work  undergraduate and post graduate students and focusses on relational aspects of social work. Joanne believes developing and using genuine communication and interpersonal skills are key to effective social work practice