What:
Social Media is a powerful force in the culture of today. Students are constantly using social media mediums like Instagram, Snapchat, and more recently TikTok. In 2015, PEW research center stated that 24% of teenagers are online ‘almost constantly’ (source). Despite social media being a large part of teenagers’ lives, some schools and educators ban social media use in the classroom for fear of opening themselves up to the dangers of being online. While caution is wise, social media can be used in the classroom to showcase numerous lessons including how to use social media positively through digital citizenship lessons or through applicable and relevant lessons using social media as a medium to teach communication, debate, even graphics design. Below are a few tips for integrating social media into your classroom.
Communication:
Communication is crucial to utilizing social media in the classroom. Communication with administrators, parents, other teachers, and evens students is an absolute must when using social media in the classroom. If your school has strict policies regarding social media use – follow them. Another tip is to start small. Seek approval from your administrator for a short trial run of using social media with one lesson plan or unit. Clearly communicate the expectations of the lesson to your parents so everyone is on the same page.
Setting Ground Rules:
Set ground rules for social media use. I have personally implemented social media in my classroom but it was only allowed at certain times for certain projects. You do not want students to have unlimited access to social media in your class all the time. You can, however, specify when social media can be used and outline the expectations of how it should be used. For example, I taught a digital journalism/amateur news class. We created an episode every week for other students to watch in a large gathering. My students used hashtags on social media to collect pictures and videos from other students. A few students were in charge of collecting the images and videos and those students were allowed to search through Instagram during one class each week to search the hashtag and save photos and videos that could be used in upcoming episodes. You can also use social media to showcase proper dialogue or debate. There are also many examples of showcasing how not to debate online. You can use hashtags to follow current events (like the NASA shuttle launch) or authors from books your students are reading. The options are limitless.
Be a Role Model:
If you are still cautious about using social media in class, showcase your own profiles and social media use. Implementing your own social media makes you relevant to your students, showcases how to properly use social media, and limits the dangers of your students being online. Some schools do not allow students to follow their teachers (or vice versa) on social media but you can show your profile without connecting with students. The same rules apply here even though students aren’t using social media – overly communicate and set the ground rules. I will never forget the day I was teaching a class on video creation and my students realized another teacher at our school had a twitch account and streamed himself playing video games. He had instant credibility with the students so we worked together to teach digital safety.
When in doubt, go offline:
If you aren’t comfortable with students being on social media or showing your own social media profiles, the next great option is to go offline. You can use social media presentation templates to teach the same concepts without the fear of students being online. There are great templates for Instagram stories, Snapchat games, and even a TikTok experience.
Clarification:
I want to clarify that I am talking about using social media to teach vital lessons to your students. I do not mean that you can and should take pictures of your students and post them on your own personal social media pages. I am a huge fan of student privacy. Please always ask permission from anyone to take their picture and post them online.
Next Steps
Interested in learning more? Check out the websites below for great information.
- Teaching Digital Citizenship – ISTE
- 22 Ways to Use Social Media in the Classroom
- Social Media in the Classroom
References:
All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.
TLDR (too long didn’t read):
Social Media is a powerful force in the culture of today. Students are constantly using social media mediums like Instagram, Snapchat, and more recently TikTok. In 2015, PEW research center stated that 24% of teenagers are online ‘almost constantly’ (source). Despite social media being a large part of teenagers’ lives, some schools and educators ban social media use in the classroom for fear of opening themselves up to the dangers of being online. While caution is wise, social media can be used in the classroom to showcase numerous lessons including how to use social media positively through digital citizenship lessons or through applicable and relevant lessons using social media as a medium to teach communication, debate, even graphics design. Below are a few tips for integrating social media into your classroom.
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