Let’s Get Started! Here are a few activities to get the ball rolling!

So I’ve touted the benefits of social media long enough. The question is: how does one seamlessly incorporate social media aspects into their lessons without it seeming awkward or forced? If an activity can be done just as easily on paper in the conventional way, then trying to cram in a social media element is often waste of time and energy. However, if specific qualities of social media will enhance or deepen connections within student learning, then it is an appropriate often beneficial and dynamic addition to the lesson. Throughout my inquiry I’ve stumbled upon some awesome lessons and activities that use social media in an effective and relevant way. Here are just a few of my favorites:

1)      Twitter: Having students set up Twitter accounts as a character from a novel or prolific historical figure that they are studying. Each week, the student will have to send out a tweet based as this character/figure. In addition, students can respond to tweets from characters/figures created by other students in their class, constructing an imagined dialogue. Students could also live-tweet a character’s point of view during a specific scene being taught in class. Use a projector to show the live tweets. One of my peers also found an imagined Facebook news feed of World War I from the perspectives of the different nations involved:

(http://www.collegehumor.com/article/6650094/facebook-news-feed-history-of-the-world-world-war-i-to-world-war-ii )

I found this to be very entertaining and fun way to make a historical time line. My only caution is that this example contains some mature language, so I would only recommend this to older classes that could handle it appropriately. It would be a great project for a socials class to build a similar timeline (without the curse words of course!) using Twitter, where it is much easier to set up faux accounts.   

 

2)      You Tube: Create a private You Tube channel to upload student-made video projects. The channel could also be used to amass videos that are relevant to the subject being taught where students could contribute and browse at their leisure. Gail Casey, a math teacher from Australia, used You Tube videos to provide context for math problems and equations – displaying real life use of the subject matter.

3)      Haiku Deck: This is a downloadable app available for the iPad, so you’ll need to make sure your school has these devices first. Haiku Deck allows students to quickly create short presentations using pictures, graphs, and a limited amount of written text (think twitter version). The presentations are short and sweet and often help students get to the point and define what’s important. This could be used to reinforce grammar rules in a language class, or important concepts in other subject areas. Once made, the presentations can be uploaded to class websites or tweeted. One of my ideas is to have students create a study guide for an upcoming test where each student is responsible for a different topic, then uploading all the presentations to the class website.

 

4)      Blogging: This is an exciting twist on the traditional essay, and a way for students to build their online brand by uploading it to an e-portfolio. Posting a blog on a given or chosen topic could be part of a weekly assignment AND at the end of the semester, students will have created an entire Independent Study Unit to display online. Furthermore, most blogs can be password protected and are private.

 

5)      Pinterest: Students can create boards as a character analysis including things such as what their character would wear, symbols reflecting them, what their interests or past times may be etc. This is also an extremely useful tool for teachers, allowing them to share and create boards around teaching strategies and ideas for activities (if you’ve never done this before I suggest you try it!). For instance, teachers can search in a specific subject area and find a multitude of ideas posted by other teachers. You can then collect your favorites by creating your own board which in turn can be shared with even more teachers! Share the love!

 

These ideas are just some of many! There are several ways to incorporate the benefits of social media into a unit or lesson – the trick is to make sure that it is a relevant and needed addition. All of these ideas started with teachers experimenting in their own classes – so my advice: go nuts! (And let us know how it went!)

Please add your ideas in the comment section below!

Connecting and Sharing

Undoubtedly, the most alluring aspect about social media is the ability to share with and connect to others from around the world. Within seconds, a message, a post, a video can be shared with thousands of users. These networks allow anyone with a keyboard or smartphone to participate in the building and sharing of a collective knowledge. As a result, the participatory nature of social media inherently encourages users to be active and engaged. As Bjork emphasizes, we should be “taking advantage of the power of collaborative interactions to enrich the encoding of information and concepts” (421).  In view of this, how can we as educators incorporate this same element into our curriculums in order to create similar shared-learning frameworks?

 

Education, as it stands right now, is a very individual process, and perhaps it’s time to take a more social and inclusive approach to learning. Social media facilitates the inclusion of students’ outside interests into the formal classroom, thereby creating a more authentic and contextualized environment and closing the gap between in-school and out-of-school learning. Furthermore, social media also facilitates student participation by allowing them to be responsible content generators for their courses. Talk about personalized learning! This sense of inclusivity and accountability has the potential to foster deeper connections between students and their peers, as well as to their own learning processes. With the reduced number of RLOs in the new BC curriculum, this is the opportunity to allow students to take the driver’s seat in their own education.

 

In addition to supporting the co-construction of a shared knowledge, social media also provides a platform for that knowledge to be challenged. Students are already participating in this type of interaction via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Mandviwalla, executive director of the Institute for Business and Information technology at Temple University, writes:      

The new generation of students is characterized by ad-hoc communication, multi-tasking, and collaborative work interspersed with collaborative play. Their lebenswelt (lifeworld) is social, mobile, open, and defined by ubiquitous access to and use of information. In this environment, everybody is a content generator (posts and comments) and aggregator (searches, activity feeds, and tags) (Chacko, 53).

 

At countless moments throughout their day, youth are being challenged by a wave of new information every time they use social media. Although students may still need more training when it comes to critical thinking and judgement of information found online, they are well on their way to being expert navigators and contributors to our shared knowledge.      

It is my hope that I will be able to facilitate learning that is “social, mobile, and open” for my students, if Twitter is the best platform for this – then that’s what I’ll consider using (or at least trying!). On that note, I have also been reading rave reviews of what student blogs can do for enhancing learning. For the teacher who wants to play it safe, there are secure networks, such as Edmodo, which have the look and feel of a social media site but that allow the educator executive control. At the end of the day, I want to be able to help students connect with their peers, with me, with their lives outside school, with the world, and with their learning – if I can accomplish all that then I’ll be a happy teacher.

Social media is all about the connections, but then again, so is learning. So how do we put two and two together? The frameworks are there for us, we just need to know how to apply them. As a pre-service teacher, I certainly can’t say that I have ANY of the answers – but I am willing to take a few risks in order to find out.

Building Your “Online Brand”

Throughout my research during this inquiry, I frequently stumbled across the idea of building your “online brand”. At first I was confused by this; how is this different from a “digital tattoo” and digital citizenship? More and more, employers, scholarship councils, and universities are turning to online profiles and activities as sources of information regarding the person/student in question. Although we may give a lot of time and attention to teaching our students how to create the perfect resume and how to conduct themselves appropriately during an interview, not enough education is directed to managing their online brand. Our students are engaging in online activities on a daily basis, and many unknowingly could be harming their chances for getting a specific job or getting into the university of their Choice. In addition, there is a common misconception that youth these days are far more savvy when it comes to Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and other social media sites, and that there is no need to educated them on something that they are already proficient in. They may be the experts when it comes to social media; however, we, the teachers, are the experts when it comes to professionalism and adult life (well, most of us!).  Patrick Mott, a 16 year old blogger for Media Smarts expresses his concern for the lack of instruction in this crucial area:

 

Why can't we be taught how to effectively manage our profiles to build our online brand? We live in a constant technologically-advancing world and I can’t fathom why we aren't taught this crucial piece of technology. As teens, social media is a large element of our day-to-day lives and to be taught social media literacy is a true life-skill.   

 

I have to say that I agree with the kid. Although it may not seem like a practical skill in many districts, we need to realize that a student’s Facebook page and Twitter feed are going to become salient additions to every resume and application. For more information on this, see the infographic If you’re not preparing your students to use social media well, you’re not doing your job by Leslie Nielsen under the articles tab. By not addressing this growing issue are we setting our students up for failure?

 

 Much of the isolated education that we do offer surrounding this topic seems to focus on “what not to do”. Perhaps, we should be focusing on what students can do in order to make their online brand more appealing for future needs. One thing that students can do and that teachers can facilitate is the e-portfolio. All too often, many of students’ accomplishments and projects, after a brief moment of recognition, seem to fall by the wayside, stored only in memories and perhaps some filing cabinet somewhere. The e-portfolio is “[…] a living collection of documents that showcases a student’s achievements and establishes a digital identity. A typical e-portfolio includes sample projects, [past successes,] posts about current events, and pictures and videos. E-portfolios are richer than paper resumes and can be updated regularly” (Chacko, 54). For this reason, I would be highly tempted to use e-portfolios as a way to help students manage their online brands. Again, this is something that is right now only being used in isolation. In order for the e-portfolio to be an effective and worth-while tool for students, it needs to be implemented holistically across curriculums and over the entire high school career of a student. Think of it as the scholastic Facebook page, now wouldn’t that be cool….

Social Media: A Risky Business?

Despite all the excitement swirling around the incorporation of technology and social media in the classroom, many still feel intimidated by the risks it poses not only to students, but also to the teachers who implement it. The protection and privacy of students is a hot topic issue when it comes to using social media, and a valid one at that. How can we open up our classrooms to the world, without letting too much of that big bad world in? As teacher and blogger Katherine Mulski puts it “[the internet] also opens up a big can of worms when it comes to teaching our students the appropriate measures to ensure safety, security, and knowledge of copywrite. Simply put, kids these days love to over share, and the Internet, provides the best forum for this.”  On the other hand, the issue is becoming more and more about protecting the students from each other, rather than the dangers lurking in cyberspace. Between cyber bullying, online predators, and un-censored content, what’s a teacher to do?

Since it’s not possible to shut out social media and the internet all together, in my view, the best solution is proactive: intense education about using the internet responsibly and about digital citizenship. Although many schools already have these types of programs in place, from what I’ve observed they are often not enough to properly educate youth on the potential risks of irresponsible social media use. Often times, they take the form of isolated special education classes that occur once a semester or year, and often employ scare tactics in the hopes that students will wise up. It is my experience that this does not happen. What I think would be more beneficial to students is continuous and integrated social media/internet education in ALL their classes. By taking this holistic and distributed approach, I believe that students will come to understand the lasting permanence of their “digital tattoo” and will be more interested in building a positive “online brand” rather than their egos and high school reputations. 

For those teachers who still feel a little leery about implementing social media in the classroom, there are still options for you. Sites such as Edmodo and Schoology incorporate the look and feel of a Facebook page, only through an educational lens, and the best part is that they are completely secure and private. Edmodo even allows teachers to moderate student posts to ensure against bullying or other unwanted behaviors.

Many teachers feel that implementing social media in the classroom is taking a big leap of faith. However, if we provide our students with the appropriate tools and support they need when it comes to making choices online, I believe that our faith will remain intact.

Digital Dummy

The Instigator…

One of our responsibilities as teachers is to continuously be learning how to adapt to the ever changing and increasing demands of our modern society. In addition, students seem to be advancing faster than ever when it comes to technology, and it is often all we can do as educators just to keep in stride with them. For this reason, I was very much looking forward the annual BCATML (BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages) Celebrating Languages conference which took place in Burnaby, B.C. this year. This conference principally focuses its efforts on introducing teachers to innovative and cutting-edge technologies and programs that promote student learning in second languages. Some of the highlights from this year’s conference included: Adding some umph to your language class; Multimodal language learning and technology; Get them talking: Connecting technology and oral interactions among many others. I personally attended workshops focusing on how to incorporate technology into the FSL classroom, how to make music videos and language raps, and how to use iPad apps as fun and integrative tools for teachers. As you can probably tell, the big theme at this year’s conference was ….. TECHNOLOGY!!!!!

 

A little about me…

I have never considered myself to be particularly “tech savvy”; however, as the years have gone by, I’ve watched myself fall further and further behind the times. I did not get to experience the internet until I was well into my teens, I did not get my first cell phone until I was 18, I refused to join Facebook until finally I couldn’t handle being the only one who didn’t know what was going on in a conversation (because some earth-shaking post had forever rocked the foundations of all my fb friends). When I found out that some in my social circle had starting “tweeting” one another I thought it was slang for some unmentionable act which is far too inappropriate to mention here.  Needless to say, I needed help, and I needed it quick. If I’m going to be able to relate to my future students and recognize what’s become important to them, I’d better jump on this band wagon – so I bought an iPad, which I still don’t fully understand how to use.

The inquiry…

So when the brochure for the BCATML conference fell into my hands, signing up was a no-brainer. It was time that I educated myself on this constantly evolving world of technology; it’s time that I explored and increased my own digital literacy – and you know what? It wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was pretty fun. So what I am offering here folks is a little taste of my journey from digital dummy to digital wizard. The following is a series of posts detailing what I consider to be the most useful and strategic ways to incorporate social media in the classroom. Now, I would like to take this moment in order to stress that I am far from an expert; however, that being said, I think that I can offer some valuable information from the perspective of a novice – and there are a lot of us out there! For instance, during the conference I had to get a 14 year old student to fix the internet connection on my iPad! It had something to do with a proxy-thingy? So I invite you all to grab your tablets or your smart phones and join me on my digital whirl wind!           

Learning Empowered by Technology

[A]n education system designed in the very different circumstances of an earlier century can’t possibly always meet the challenges students face – both now and in the future. In the social, economic and technological environment of the past, change was much more gradual than it is today. Many of the opportunities and jobs we’re preparing our students for don’t even exist today. So while we enjoy a strong and stable system, we need a more nimble and flexible one that can adapt more quickly to better meet the needs of 21st century learners. (BC Ed. Plan, 3).

B.C. leads the country on internet connectivity – 85% of British Columbians use the internet on a regular basis. BC’s Education Plan will encourage smart use of technology in schools, better preparing students to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Students will have more opportunity to develop the competencies needed to use current and emerging technologies effectively, both in school and in life. Educators will be given the supports needed to use technology to empower the learning process, and to connect with each other, parents, and communities. Schools will have increased Internet connectivity to support learners and educators. (BC Ed. Plan, 7).

Social Media : creating personalized and differentiated learning opportunities

As the dawn of a new curriculum is upon us, many teachers can’t help but feel concerned/intimidated by the emphasis that the new BC Ed. plan is placing on personalized learning. Admittedly, I for one feel a little hesitant towards this new approach, but not because I don’t believe in its merits. The main issue with this new direction is logistics. The current system does not support the individualized attention needed in order to give students a personalized learning experience. When faced with class sizes pushing 30, it’s no wonder why many teachers are still skeptics.

So what can we do about this? How are we going to adapt and make this idea a reality? Adapt being the key word here. The answer may be at our fingertips … literally. In this modern day, teachers have some of the most sophisticated educational resources at their disposal; I’m talking about social media and mobile learning. Although its critics may be numerous, this “informal” strategy may be just the right one to get the job done.   

There has often been a divide between what’s considered “formal learning”, found in highly structured and recognized educational institutions, and informal learning, which is a product of daily work, family relationships, and leisure activities. Because informal settings often provide highly contextualized learning environments, we generally gain and retain more knowledge here than from formal environments (Gikas, 19). Surprise!  This sentiment is echoed by Traxler, author of many pieces on mobile learning:

[W]ith mobile learning, content can be more context aware, authentic, and situated in the surroundings where the learning is more meaningful to the learner. Learners can personalize the way they interact with the course content. They can also customize “the transfer and access of information in order to build on their skills and knowledge to meet their own educational goals” (Gikas, 19).  

So, coming back to my original question: how can we, as teachers, ensure that each student receives the personalized learning experience that they are due, without spreading ourselves too thin? One way, is to blend the structured formalized learning that takes place in the classroom with informal contextualized learning that can be facilitated through the implementation of social media resources. Social media tools afford students the ability to interact and collaborate with one another and their instructors. As a result, students are able to personally connect with their learning through this mass collaboration and interaction. According to Greenhow, this inherently creates a student-centered framework which “promotes personal choice, customization and student familiarity”, allowing students to form their own individualized understandings of course content (Gikas, 19). Furthermore, social media, besides already being a source of engagement, also provides students with continuous connectivity and a mobile and authentic learning environment.

In short, social media is here to stay. The traditional wood and brick classroom is making way for the new global classroom; learning need not be constricted to a building or an institution. Rather, it is continuous and organic, things which are complemented by the connectivity, mobility, and collaborative ability of social media. As this new era of education approaches, we should not be feeling solely responsible for individualizing the learning of each of our students, but rather, we should be providing them choice and the tools to do it themselves.