The popularity of social media has only increased over the years. People of all ages are using social media for different reasons and purposes. Some use it for gaming and advertisements, while others use it to promote important causes. I have heard that some teachers are ignoring social media and not bringing it into the classroom. However, I have a different view. I believe teachers should embrace technology and social media in the classroom. Ned Smith (2010) mentions if we do not bring social media into the classroom we are creating a major disconnect for our students. Why do we try and “hide” these tools from students when they are using them outside of the classroom on a daily basis? Whether we want to believe it or not, our students are probably more technological advanced than we are. That might be intimidating at first but essentially we can learn from our students just as we expect them to learn from us as teachers.
I found a blog where teachers posted different ideas about how to incorporate social media into the classroom. Many of them were aimed at college or high school level students but I believe an elementary school teacher could modify them to suit the needs of his or her students. Yanick Rice Lamb mentions on the blog that she uses social media to essentially inspire the students to act as journalists. A third, forth, or fifth grade teacher could explain what journalists do, show them examples of journalists’ work, and challenge them to create their own journalist piece. This is just a simple example of how we can embrace technology and social media.
Even though the project for this class is somewhat unclear and not completely laid out, I am excited to begin because I know that there are endless possibilities for not only my team but for my peers as well. My goal is to create a project that our team and the class are passionate about. As we have discussed in class, working toward something is always better when you are passionate about it. If the students do not care about our cause they will not be motivated to help out. I also want the students to realize that they can use social media in others ways than just communicating with their friends or playing games. If they learn how to use social media in a positive and purposeful way at a young age hopefully that will carry over into their adult hood as they impact lives in their community and across the world. As long as our team has the same goals and focus I believe our project will go smoothly. It is also essential to stay in contact with each other to keep the team on track and hold people accountable for their positions.
After briefly talking about our team roles and how we wanted the dynamics set up, my team decided that I would be the best “team leader.” I can honestly say that I did not want to take on this position because I already have several other administrative roles. However, the other girls said they are not very organized and needs someone to be the overseer so I just decided to take it. Besides just being the “leader” of the team I can also provide creative ideas and I can promise that I will brainstorm ideas for everything. It is always a goal of mine to work with a smile and positive attitude so the same is true for this project.
Carly,
ReplyDeleteYou demonstrate a clear understanding of the role social media can play in the classroom.
The key to your groups success involves listening. Hear what the students and teachers are saying and use your knowledge of social media affordances to design the authentic activity that Jenkins notes above.
It is good to see your team members have clear roles--this will serve you all well.
I look forward to hearing about your progress.
-cds