I’m a social media skeptic….but I’ve finally found a way in which social media can provide real-world benefit in a middle or high school classroom. It's by using social media to teach how to use social media.
First, some brief skepticism about social media in school. Social media can be distracting because the devices themselves are distracting. One of the greatest complaints of teachers in 1:1 programs is that students are distracted by texts, social media, games, and more. In fact, there’s a blossoming software industry that provides classroom device management for just this reason. Another reason that I'm skeptical is that both reading and writing on social media reinforce poor reading and writing skills. The character limit on most social media sites forces students to write brief, pithy, high-level blurbs. There simply isn’t enough room for deep analysis or critical thinking. In addition, studies have shown that we are losing our stamina for reading longer essays and writings because we are so accustomed to reading character-limited pieces on the internet (see the Time Magazine article about the study). Students are having to re-train themselves to read longer primary sources and novels because their brains have lost the ability to concentrate for longer durations on deeper material. These are just two of many reasons that I’m skeptical about using social media in the classroom. However, why not teach students how to use social media for what social media is used in the business world: to promote, publicize, and connect? Instead of teaching content areas with social media, teach students how to develop effective online publicity and marketing material for a class or a project, then have them use these skills on Facebook to publicize events. Teach students how to create a professional website, then have them maintain it to publicize a school newspaper or magazine. Teach students how to use Twitter, then have them use it to promote a school club. Many companies hire social media marketing experts; in fact, there are consulting groups devoted to providing social media marketing services. Teaching social media marketing skills to middle and high students is actually providing them with skills that they can use for internships, summer jobs, and more. Even better, when students are using social media as it's used in the real world, they learn through real-world personal experience about digital citizenship. They learn to create a positive and appropriate online presence; how to create a post or picture the promotes you in a positive way; how to frame a post to create a desired image; and the power of social media to connect you to the world. It's the ultimate in project based learning for digital citizenship and responsible social media.
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No matter how much time I have with my class, I’m always looking for ways to get more one-on-one assessment time with students. Educreations is nifty interactive whiteboard app that records both writing and audio so that I can get a “virtual” one-on-one experience with every student in my class on a single day.
I use Educreations primarily for math assessment. It’s a great way for students to record themselves solving a problem and explaining their math thinking….all independently, so that I can watch and hear them solving and explaining after class, even from home. It’s really like having one-on-one time with every student while they solve a custom math problem. How do I use it? First, I assign custom math problems to students based on what I want to assess. In my current math class, this could include problems differentiated to the individual. I usually distribute the problems on Post Its. Next, the students take turns using the iPads to “write” their problems on the Educreations screen, and then record both their writing and their audio explanations of their math thinking behind the solution. They then save their lessons with their names and go back to their other work. Here’s an example of using Educreations to solve a basic subtraction problem using the “counting back” strategy: https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/mrs-meyers/35530467/?s=RR0uWT Educreations has many strengths. First, it’s easy to learn and use. With a very brief mini-lesson, most first grade students were able to use the app to record themselves solving math problems. The kids can write on the screen with a finger or stylus, so even kids who can’t keyboard can use the app. You also can share and post links to Educreations lessons, so it’s good for sharing with parents. Educreations also has a few deficits. In the free version, you can save only one draft at a time. Since my class is on one account, this limits my whole class to one draft. Also, you can’t edit a lesson once it’s saved. Unfortunately, this means that kids can’t go back and fix their mistakes; rather, they’ll have to record a new replacement lesson, instead. Finally, it would great to create a template that you can then share and reuse. For example, I’d love to create a template of a place value chart, then have the kids solve math problems in the chart. Instead, the first graders would need to either draw the place value chart (hard to do with your finger!) or important a graphic. Overall, though, Educreations is my favorite app for quick, highly differentiated math assessment. |
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