I have come across so many teachers who want to use social media to engage their students. Some teachers are using Twitter as a daily feedback forum- students are given a question for homework and asked to comment on each others replies. Other teachers use blogs to encourage student communication about assignments, homework, projects, etc. or they publish stories and essays for peer review. Facebook is used to create historical figures profiles and simulate a “what they would say” scene.
These are just a few of the ideas that are attracting teachers. The goal: to engage students, of course! But is the use of social media fulfilling its goals? At what point does the learning become a distraction, the medium become more significant than the message?
The pros:
– most students are familiar with the platform, so the curriculum becomes the focus. Take twitter or facebook, for example. Most students have their own accounts, or are at least familiar on some level with the platform. It is therefore, only a small stretch of to use these mediums to extend the classroom.
– it encourages communication amongst peers. Students who might otherwise feel shy to participate in class discussions may feel uninhibited behind the screen. Perhaps the medium even encourages conversations beyond the topic, connecting students who would not otherwise find the opportunity to do so.
– it encourages 21st century technology for learning. Computers and personal devices WILL become apart of the classroom, if they are not already doing so. Whether students are researching, writing, or communicating, why not enlist the energy and interest students have for these mediums to deepen learning?
The cons:
– privacy issues around creating profiles (fake or real are problematic). Many teachers express a concern for introducing students to social media without simultaneously educating them on the importance of online safety.
– not everyone has access to a computer or personal device.
– the encouragement of “screen time” detracts from opportunities for face-to-face time.
These are just SOME of the issues and benefits of social media in the classroom. I, personally, use a closed website with my students. In other words, they can only access the site if invited. The website invites students to post videos and pictures, ask questions and make comments.
Here is a lesson I adapted as an alternative to “online” social media. Students create fake facebook profiles, using PowerPoint as the medium. Slide are created and hyper-linked, as if they were online. The process is certainly not the same as using an actual facebook account, but at least provides many of the benefits of “social media” without many of the concerns around privacy and fraudulent accounts.
FACEBOOK POWERPOINT TEMPLATE:FB Project Template
I welcome you feedback, as well as your own successful lesson around social media!
Multiple Intelligences in the Everyday Classroom 