Social Media ....Tool or Toy
Social networking is a very native process for current and future generations of students. It is a way for them to establish their identity. The use of social networking is to let others know the user's likes, dislikes, hobbies and future aspirations. Social networking also allows students to connect to those with like interests and to contribute thoughts and opinions on various subjects.
Social networking is a skill that must be mastered by our students as these skills will be necessary into adult hood. There are inherent safety issues regarding social networking and media. Having the educational system embrace social networking will allow students to be educated, beginning in the elementary school years, on important topics such as internet safety, information reliability, identity protection, personal responsibility, and the consequences of inappropriate actions.
Social networking can aid learning by capitalizing on the inherent importance it plays in the lives of the students. It is exciting to them and captures their attention. Social media allows for expanded educational exposure by allowing lectures to be recorded and streamed as needed to help students gain understanding beyond the initial exposure to lecture in the classroom. It also provides a forum for discussion to those students who are shy and feel social anxiety. These students may participate in discussion in forum conversations as they do not have to verbally speak out in a group setting. This provides for a level of cooperation and discussion previously not available with traditional educational models.
Social networking and social media are already ingrained in the fabric of the current generation and there is no indication that this will change with future generations. The educational system must embrace this concept and utilize technology to engage students and enhance teaching methods.
Fiehn, B. (2008). Social networking and your library opac. Internet @school, Retrieved from http://www.mmischools.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=59618
Junion-Metz, G. (2008). These sites help teens stay safe as they join global converstation. School Library Journal, Retrieved fromhttp://www.schoollibraryjounal.com/article/CA6574015.html?industryid=47060
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ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I loved your title; it made me think about technology in general, and how we can turn what students think of as toys into learning opportunities. Establishing a unique identity is important to our high school students; how true each identity is depends on the student.
“Social networking is a skill that must be mastered…” You made me think differently again. I never thought of social networking as a skill although the safety issues have always been loud and clear. I agree that having the opportunity to begin the “education” early has tremendous benefits.
Adding new ways to capture students’ attention is always on the minds of teachers. The discussion aspect is very powerful, and I agree can alleviate speaking anxiety that traditional education misses. As long as teachers and students recognize the negative as well as the positive aspects of social networking, I think that is a very powerful tool in every classroom.
Lisa, I think you have a really strong argument for incorporating social media/social networking into the school setting: if we use social networking in schools, we can TEACH students how to use it properly. I think we get so worked up about the dangers of minors using social networking sites that we don't stop to think that we can teach students how to avoid those dangers and be safe. In the real world we don't shelter kids inside 24/7, we teach them safety like not talking to strangers. I also like that you brought up the concept of social networking being an outlet for students who may be too shy to participate in class. I've noticed that some of my more quiet students were more likely to chime in or ask questions when we used Edmodo because they didn't feel as shy or embarrassed speaking.
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteEven though you present a great argument for the use of social networking in schools, I am still reluctant to utilize it. The reason why is because I believe students must be taught how to properly use social networking, or at least they have to know how to "code switch". In other words, they can have a school social network and a personal social network. I can see where incorporating personal into school via social networking would be a network of disaster (at least on the high school level). I think that if we teach the younger students how to treat social networking at school, they will be ready for it on the young adult level. I also agree with your last point that social networking is here in the present and in order to keep our students heading toward a successful future, we must find a way to embrace it in the classroom. Great post!
I definately fall in the category or someone who classifies social media as a toy, rather than a tool. In my opinion, Email, Texts, and Websites are tools, but social media including chat rooms and to some extent blogs are toys. For middle school aged students (what I teach) there is no possibility of using social media in the classroom and not encountering more problems than benefits. I think the best we can hope for at this time is to send out a mass email reminding kids of a project or reminding them to check the website, and then hope they talk to each other about it on Facebook. It's not practical to try and interact with them on Facebook or other social media. There are too many risks. (My opinion)
ReplyDeleteI love your title tool or toy. I am still on the line with this. I believe that it can be a great tool if the students are taught the correct way to use it. I specifically like your about about social media being in the present, and in order to keep the students in the right direction we must embrace it. GREAT post
ReplyDeleteI love the way you titled this. We do sometimes think it's a toy. Well, it can be fun at times but we forget that it can be a dangerous tool if not used properly. This is why it is important that we educate our students on the importance of social media and the correct way to use it. I think it goes back to the days of teaching morals and values. Gone are the days in which children had to be in the house before the street light came on so we as educators need to take on the responsibility of making sure our students use social media properly. Social media sites can be a great asset to the classroom curriculum. It can be used just like Epals were used except students can get a faster response and do more interacting with one another. Awesome!
ReplyDelete