There is one thing of which I was certain before I ever
read any articles on social networking, and it is that social networking is
here to stay. I absolutely think it has
a place in education and in schools. Our
challenge in terms of using social networking sites as educators is educating
ourselves and our students on safety and etiquette in the digital world. Students are going to enter a work force that
is globally connected through the use of the internet, and they must be ready
to tackle that world with experience and confidence. What better place to try, fail, learn, and
succeed than in the safe environment of school?
The stakes are high for students in terms of grades, but the stakes are
even higher for young professionals trying to forge a path in his or her
career.
Educators have a unique opportunity to prepare students for the 21st
Century in authentic ways. As early as
Kindergarten, students can begin navigating the safe world of the Destiny OPAC
to recommend books to other readers. Blogs,
wikis, and virtual classrooms can be used to allow students in upper
elementary, middle, and high schools to share, collaborate, and create.
Currently, my system filters some social networking sites like
Facebook. However, there are other sites
like Edmodo that are allowed. Edmodo
looks and feels like Facebook, and it is a safe environment created and
monitored by the teacher or media specialist.
Students can create and respond to posts, as well as upload documents to
the teacher. The teacher is able to
provide feedback on the document and send it back to the student. My system also allows Twitter. By linking a Twitter feed to a LMC or teacher
web page, students can respond to tweets, be alerted to upcoming assignments or
events, and create an online school community that fosters a sense of ownership
and pride. Either one of these forums
would be beneficial in a flipped classroom.
After students complete readings of texts and make preparations for
class the next day, they could post or tweet thoughts, questions, or responses
to classmates or teachers. For a fun and
optional social networking tool, I chose to use Instagram with my middle school
students. I don’t require it, but I
invite them to follow me for updates, reminders, and words of encouragement.
Educators are also challenged to keep up with the ever-changing and
evolving digital sites and tools. I
think it is best to keep it simple. If
the LMS or teacher is trying to manage Twitter, Edmodo, Instagram, a school web
page, a blog, and a wiki, then something is going to fall short of being the
amazing tool it has the potential to become.
Choose one form of social networking that meets all, or most, of your
needs. Train the students how to use it,
and require them to use it so they become proficient at it. Introduce other formats periodically to
students so that they know about the latest and greatest 2.0 applications, but
don’t kill yourself trying to be the “Web 2.0 Master”.
Yes, social networking is here to stay.
It connects us locally and globally.
We use it to collaborate, discuss, review, share, and create. The power of social networking can change
policies, start grass roots campaigns, and ignite passions for a better
world. This is what our students are
facing, and they must be prepared. Having
said that, it is imperative that we also do a thorough job of educating
students about online safety. This
includes discussing safety with any internet sites, not just social networking
sites used for educational purposes.
So post, tweet, follow, share, and hashtag all you want! Just remember, that if you don’t know how to
use one of these sites, chances are your students can teach you!
Sites to browse:
Latest and greatest:
Safety:
I am glad that you went into such detail with your blog. In my system we are also filtered for all social media. I have heard other teachers talk about Edmodo but I haven't explored it as yet. My student population is middle to low income and the comment I hear most when assigning anything using the internet is "I don't have a computer." I will try using Edmodo in the classroom and see if I can get my students to buy into this new form of safe social networking.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your informative blog.
I am glad that you went into such detail with your blog. In my system we are also filtered for all social media. I have heard other teachers talk about Edmodo but I haven't explored it as yet. My student population is middle to low income and the comment I hear most when assigning anything using the internet is "I don't have a computer." I will try using Edmodo in the classroom and see if I can get my students to buy into this new form of safe social networking.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your informative blog.
I agree with the idea of starting slow with using social media. Spreading oneself too thin means you'll only get surface level use of these media. Perhaps schools can even designate others besides the SLMS to utilize various types of social media. The social media team can be the new version of the PR committee. As the computer literacy teacher in an elementary school, I also know that it's important to start teaching primary students the importance of digital safety and citizenship and in terms they understand. I'm glad we live in the internet age, where we as teachers can easily find resources to help us utilize social media, in addition to teaching our students through those same means.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I think you did a wonderful job covering the relationship between social media and schools. I (like many here I am sure) am connected on several social media sites. Recently I created my first Twitter account and am still in the process of figuring the whole thing out. I know I'm behind the times on that one (especially for a 25 year old!), but the only reason I even created an account was because of what we are learning in this class: how much social media and technology benefit and influence schools. I agree that they are here to stay and we most certainly need to teach students how to use them properly. From what I can tell, Internet etiquette has quickly become a thing of the past.
ReplyDeletePerfectly said! It is here to stay so we have to find ways for students to use social networking responsibly. While I feel old school saying I feel like using Facebook at school, I feel like sights like Edmodo and Schoology are much more student/learning centered without all the extra non educational things Facebook could bring into the classroom setting. However, as we teach students how to use social networking appropriately I could see how it could be a useful tool. But as for right now there are other "safer" and educational alternatives that serve the same purpose.
ReplyDelete