This week in my Technology Integration in the Classroom course, we were discussing the monster topic of Social Media. The following are my three main takeaways from this session. All suggestions and comments to these questions are welcomed and encouraged!
1. When is it appropriate to start introducing Social Media into an Elementary classroom and how to go about doing so safely? The time to learn about how to handle something is usually before the risk takes place. So, when we are in the situation, we are prepared with a tool kit to know how to respond appropriately. It is never too early to start having conversations about healthy relationships and healthy interactions. As early as Kindergarten and Grade 1 we can talk about why we should not send mean notes or what does kindness look like? It is important to cultivate conversations deliberately. Then, when media usage is more integrated in the classroom, that would be the time to include cyber bullying and other forms of media abuse into the conversation. We should include anecdotes and real-world examples. “What if…” and “What would you do?” scenarios should be included to get our students thinking and prepared to handle difficult situations. Teachers should include all stakeholders’ perspectives so students can learn through a series of experiences when to recognize when they might not have all the information. Tensions can be avoided if we stop and think, “Is there more to this?” “Do we have all the information to make judgement?” 2. What are age-appropriate Social Media platforms that classrooms can use to support student learning? Today we talked about what applications come to mind when we say "Social Media". Not surprisingly, the most popular included Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn, just to name a few. During our class time, we all collaborated on a Google Slides presentation to create what we named "The Preservice Teacher's Guide to Social Media in the Classroom". This guide actually turned out to be an awesome resource for information on what social media is, what affordances and constraints different social media can offer us and a long list of different ways to incorporate social media into your classroom. We're pretty proud of the document, so check it out! 3. How can students practice being responsible digital citizens? Are there platforms that exist to help scaffold student's ability to participate in online conversations? One of the biggest concerns that was voiced in class today was how to get students online practicing their digital skills but not run the risk of sending them off into the world wide web too soon or with too little parameters? To help address this fear, we came across some great resources that will allow students to practice their digital skills in a mock space, where they still need to be critical thinkers but their search options and access to information is limited. Some examples of these platforms are: KidzSearch, a kid friendly search engine, HootCourse, a virtual space similar to Twitter or Facebook, and TodaysMeet, an online discussion board great for giving all students a voice. These platforms align with our conversations surrounding frameworks of digital literacies and 21st century skills, as they promote collaboration, open sharing, communication, and creating and creativity, all of which we have agreed are important skills to foster within our students. Thank you for reading about my experiences learning about social media in the classroom! -Miss. Coleman
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AuthorJessica Coleman holds a Bachelor of Education as well as an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences, both from the University of Ottawa. She is an Ontario College of Teachers certified teacher, currently working towards a Masters of Education degree at uOttaw, as well. Archives
September 2018
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