I
have been using social media in my classroom for a few years now. I have a
class Twitter account. I have set up all my students with their own blogs. My
class communicate with other students around the world using Edmodo. We have
mystery skyped classes in the USA. We have shared our videos on the class
YouTube account. My class has engaged in online learning on various
interactive, social websites such as Khan Academy and Scratch.
But
as impressive as this list may appear, I feel as if there are so many aspects
of social networking as a tool I have only scratched the surface of. In all of
these social engagements, I have remained the one in charge. I have been the
instigator of the social engagement; the engineer, the conductor, the driver,
the orchestrator.
This
has made it a very manageable, controllable experience. One that most educators
would feel safe in. One where the learning outcomes have been planned and
catered for. One where the outcomes are possibly even predetermined.
But
the safety net and harness that has prevented any and all mishaps, maybe has
also stifled much of the potential and creativity that a less controlled, less
road mapped, more open ended experience may have created.
We
are currently communicating with different teachers and classes from around the
world using Edmodo, Google Suite, and Skype as part of the Global Read Aloud
project. It is such a safe, closed environment, there is no fear of inappropriate
behaviour or misuse of the technology.
In
the past, I have had students who were passionate about their own out of school
projects such as Minecraft. I can see how I may have failed to capitalise on
that fervidness because it was moving into a realm that I couldn’t control, an
area I had little or no expertise in. Hence, the fears of being unable to
moderate any social exchanges that could be unhelpful, or even worse, undesirable
are exacerbated.
This
fear can be a straitjacket, immobilising teachers from attempting anything that
they don’t have total control over. That can whitewash the social networking experience.
It can become a bit homogenised. And teachers and classes can lose out on a
whole lot of potential experiences and exchanges that could enrich and deepen the
class programme.
Hi Philip
ReplyDeleteI'm terribly impressed with how much social media you do use with your students. Would love to know what age group you have? I don't use nearly as much as what you do but I hear you when you talk about being the instigator, engineer, conductor etc. This is very true and must be true in a lot of classrooms around the world surely? The consequences of not being in control would just be too huge and too horrible to contemplate. I wrote in a recent blog about children not really being aware that what they put onto social media can be seen by everyone, this has been a learning curve this year with my class but one I am sure they forget when they leave the four walls of the classroom. I would be quite keen to follow you on Twitter and any others to see what your class is up to, if you don't mind sharing the details!
Hi Michelle from Timaru (a lovely part of the world that is).
ReplyDeleteI teach Year 5 and 6 kids. I agree with you and feel we are between a rock and a hard place with the freedom the internet brings, but also the perils... it's like the world's greatest library next door to Disneyland. But I would like to be a bit freer to allow my students to explore more with some of their own interests.
I have recently switched schools and I am still debating whether I will start up a new class twitter account for my new school (that whole internal debate: the time and effort versus the rewards). I think I will wait until next year when we participate in the NZ Read Aloud 9https://newzealandreadaloud.wordpress.com/) and start twitter again then.
Our class blog is https://pwsroom14.blogspot.co.nz/ It would be nice having interactions of some description with the South Island.
I too agree with you , there are pros and cons for using social media in our learning environment. What will the future bring on all this . Only time will tell. I guess its how we approach it and not be afraid . If it enriches the learning we must go with it .
ReplyDeleteHaving talked to the students in your class I know that they enjoy the fact that they are able to connect with other students outside of their school regularly, and not only from different parts of NZ but also around the world. This is giving them opportunities to experience other cultures and share their experiences with students that may be going through a similar process. I also know that the global read aloud that you are participating in is popular with your students. When your students publish their work on their blogs it gives them the feeling that what they have done is worth other people reading their work, making them feel like and actually be AUTHORS in the outside world. Thank you for the experiences you give your class .
ReplyDeleteHi Kelley,
DeleteYes, I know that the class really enjoy the opportunity to share with the world. The GRA is a favourite with many. This time, they are sharing with Grade 7 & 8 kids and are holding their heads up high despite the age difference. I am proud of them because they can have equally valid and meaningful points of view and discussions with these older kids.
The blogs bring an element of authorship to the proceedings, especially if I have made an effort to create some connections. Their work really does get read by somebody out there. The 100 word challenge is another good avenue for this.
I absolutely feel straitjacketed by my fear of using social media in my classroom. It is such a minefield and, while I use digital technology every day in my classroom, using social media seems like opening myself up to things I can't control. You have challenged me to reflect on and make changes in this area for my practice in 2018. I'm looking forward to discussing possibilities with my students - as always, they are the innovators and instigators and offer so much wisdom on the value, and the perils of social media use in the classroom and beyond. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this - very challenging.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather. I guess you could start the whole social media experience similar to the way I have done it i.e. in a neat, controlled, ring fenced environment where you are aware of any and all interactions that take place. Over the years, I have had to deal with students who did make inappropriate choices and said things to others that were rude, mean, or bullying. But because I was aware of it because of the controlled nature of the environment, it became a learning experience. It became a safe place to make that mistake.
DeleteIf you aren't sure how to ensure there are these safety nets in place, discuss with your IT person. Have a go. It is a world of excitement and fun. I'm now looking for how I can open it up further. Good luck.