Article Author name(s): Camille Jackson
Title of article: Your Students Love Social Media…And So Can You
Title of journal: Teaching Tolerance
Date of publication: Spring 2011
Issue number of the journal: 39
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-39-spring-2011/your-students-love-social-media-and-so-can-you
Summary: Due to social networking, online tools have become more and more available, which leads to empowering models of communication for students. Students can learn to use social media responsibly by watching how their parents use it, so parents should encourage their children to test the waters, and at the same time be involved along the way because the benefits that students stand to gain are many.
Introduction: 73 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use social networking, up from 55 percent just four years ago. The majority are female. Social networking is here to stay, and instead of fighting the trend, educators and administrators should embrace it and work with it.
Intended audience: Educators and administrators
Social media is important because it’s a new way for young people to play an active role in creating their own identity. It aids them in their ability to learn socially and form skills that will carry students into adulthood. It can be difficult for teachers and parents to understand the significance of social media in teen’s lives and what healthy online behavior looks like. Principle Christopher Lehman says, “Social media is part of kids’ lives, either we acknowledge it exists and allow ourselves to be part of the conversation, or it’s one more way school becomes irrelevant to kids”. Online class facilitation websites can be a great way to involve students in class discussions while easing some of the social anxiety that comes with speaking up in front of the class in person.
This article is relevant because social networking and social media is prevalent in the lives of everyone these days. To ignore it would be irresponsible, so the better option is to embrace the movement and work in ways that social media assists us in our jobs and getting through to students. As we frequently mention, teachers must use tactics that will reach all students’ needs, and utilizing technology and social media may be an excellent way to get the more shy, independent students to open up and share skills and interests.
Good one! This article resonates: I attended an academic conference in my discipline last fall at which the theme was "Language Learning 2.0" The keynote speaker gave a rousing address encouraging us to EMBRACE this technology, rather than shun it from the classroom. I will openly admit my bias-- I strongly dislike Facebook, and most of its ilk. But it is extremely hard to argue with the points made in this article.
ReplyDeleteOur school has a bizarre love/hate thing going with technology. Our director loves it, but at the same time we come down hard on kids with their cell phones out. We do allow them to use iPods and iPhones in fun ways - flashcards, Google calendars, and the like - but I feel like we need to figure out full integration, so that there isn't that constant feeling of "am I doing something wrong?" in students' minds when they have their devices out.
One quote from the article that I wanted to bring up: "There is 'an unfortunate assumption that since they’re young and they grew up with it, they know how to use it,' says Eszter Hargittai, an associate communications and sociology professor at Northwestern University. 'We do them a disservice by going into the classroom and assuming they are already digitally savvy.'"
This is a powerful idea! Just because a student can click around on Facebook really quickly doesn't mean that she knows how to, say, find resources that she is looking for; on the contrary, I feel like the immediate content delivery of Facebook, Twitter, etc., cultivates a laziness of pursuit-- because the information is always RIGHT THERE, students feel like they don't have to dig for it, so as soon as they run into difficulties they shut down . "Explore!" I try to tell them gently.
Has anyone seen anything at their placement schools that applies to this issue in some way? Clever, broad-spectrum integration and embrace of technology? Or shutting it down completely and banning everything? Something in the middle?
Benjamin, I would like to follow up on the statement, "There is 'an unfortunate assumption that since they’re young and they grew up with it, they know how to use it,' says Eszter Hargittai as it relates to something that I like to bring up with teachers. First, I would say that kids do know how to use it, what they lack is the ability to critically evaluate the impact of the tools. Having said that, most of us consume technology - we just get hooked on the latest gadget. As teachers, we really need to think about this both in terms of educating kids about technology as well as using tools intentionally to support our practice and student learning. My hope is that we will get to these issues in tech class.
ReplyDeleteI like that, it's a more nuanced way to approach that quote and the idea behind it, and describes the situation better.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree about the consumption of technology-- one of the things that frustrated me most at the conference I mentioned above was a Smartboard session I attended. So many teachers were oohing and aahing over this shiny new piece of technology that few of us there stopped to think about how the teacher wasn't really demonstrating usage of it in any way that differentiated it from a gussied up whiteboard. Critical evaluation of technology, including whether or not it is actually a valuable means to our ends, is an important part of the adoption process.
That said, I've still got my fingers crossed for that buy-us-all-iPads-grant!
Yeah, jumping on the latest new technology can be an expensive reinvention of the wheel, great point Ben. And yes, the Ipads look nice!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about the social media to be careful of is to ensure there is a separation between the students and your private life. I have an article from my latest AAE http://www.aaeteachers.org/ that talks about how inappropriate or unintentional use of social media has become one of the leading causes of teacher firings. So...caution!