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.
1 Comment
Rebecka
3/21/2016 12:19:31 am
Fantastic post! Good info from Time and I love your ideas on practical "real world application" use of social media.
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