Kessler, S. (2010, September 29). The
Case For Social Media in Schools. Retrieved October 14, 2016, from
http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/#7ttdiIaPOkqR
The two articles have a clear stance in
their titles on social media and technology in the classroom. The article and
webpage but give reasons why social media and technology are good and should be
used in the classroom. The article, The
Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and how
Teachers Can Leverage Them, gives several accounts from teachers who have
used social media and technology (games) in their classroom to teach students
valuable lessons having to relate to the curriculum. On the webpage, “The Case
for Social Media in Schools,” it talks about how social media is being used in
schools already and how it is becoming more commonly used in classrooms on a
daily basis. The webpage gives six main points on why social media is good for
the classroom and should be incorporated. I read these articles because I agree
with the message they are trying to put out, which is that technology and
social media should be used in the classroom. The best example of this is what
you are currently reading. I hope you enjoy the technology and social media we
are using in the classroom.
Question #1
Is the social media that is being used
today always going to work?
Answer #1
The social media being used today is
good for the now but is changing everyday.
The social networks and media sites being used today are most likely not
the same as those that were being used even just 3-5 years ago. Currently the
big social media sources being used are Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, there
are more then the listed but that is what I hear from my students. so, no, the
sources being used now will not be what you always use but they can be a great start to learning how
to use new sources.
Question #2
Are social media sources secure?
Answer #2
There are ways to monitor social media
sites and there are social media sources that can be used that are designed for
educators. The sources that are designed for educators tend to have security
measure that help to monitor who is posting and when they are posting. Through educator
designed sources you also can control who is allowed to read and post so that
you can identify and monitor what is being said by whom and to whom it is being
said.
As an elementary teacher I struggled with finding ways to use social media in my classroom because my students are so young. I don't think they should have their own accounts so I started creating classroom accounts that we add to as a whole class. I also have had my students create paper Facebook pages for historical figures we have studied. This allows me to bring social media into my classroom in an appropriate way and gives my students an opportunity to safely experience the technology they hear so much about.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is definitely not always secure or private. In the article that I read, the writer makes many true claims about the commercialization of social media and how there is a hidden agenda on social media sites. I do see value of using social media in the classroom and with students and their peers, but there should be restrictions and clear intentions on how to use social media in education.
ReplyDeleteI agree that social media will and always will be changing. For instance, when I was in high school, myspace was the "it" thing, now myspace is obsolute and the new "it" thing is instagram. As a result, the new generation will have a new social media website that will be the "it" thing, probably in a few years or even months. Also, I agree that social media is NOT secure. I heard all the time from my peers that their students are having issues on social media, which in turn effects their school life, even though the problems are occurirng outside of school. I believe that social media websites need to be secure so thats student's comments and replies are monitored constantly!
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