Group items tagged

"Social media can be an incredibly useful teaching tool. The social networks students use are conducive to so many facets of modern learning such as collaborative planning, data and resource sharing, and progress updates concerning group work. It appeals to our digital natives, and social media is very easy to use. The prospect of teaching with social media can be alluring or repulsive, depending on your understanding of it, and your experience with it. The truth is, it doesn't need to be difficult or stressful. For any teacher wanting to broaden connections with students through different teaching strategies, social media is a terrific choice. That said, it pays to do a bit of homework on the subject before diving in. Let's look at some of the things that are worth considering before making the move to teaching with social media in a classroom environment."

" As teachers, we all have assumptions -- and likely some opinions -- about teenagers and social media. But are those assumptions correct? Now we have research to help us find out. Common Sense is releasing (Sept 18) its latest research report, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences, a deep dive into the social media habits of American teenagers. This research is the second wave in an ongoing study tracking teens' attitudes about social media; the original report was released in 2012."

"Media literacy is an important skill for all young people and so is the value of social media as a teaching, learning, and publishing tool. This post discusses the approach of one educator when trying to develop her students' skills. Digital literacy doesn't just naturally develop any more than print literacy does, and All learning happens through reflection and revision. So, my students must have guided practice analyzing and using social media if they are to use it purposefully, productively, and safely"

A good post from Common Sense Media about where teens are with social media today. The questions "Are teens totally over Facebook? Or are they using it even more than ever? are asked and an answer is attempted. From reports it is evident that there are many and varied social media being used by young people. Teenagers are dividing their attention between a sizeable number of apps and tools. These all allow them to write, share, video-chat, and even shop for the latest trends. The advice is:"You don't need to know the ins and outs of every app and site that's "hot" right now (and frankly, if you did, they wouldn't be trendy anymore). But knowing the basics -- what they are, why they're popular, and what problems can crop up when they're not used responsibly -- can make the difference between a positive and a negative experience for your kid." A few of these media are discussed in light of this.

"Social Media has been hailed as the silver bullet of grassroots marketing. Circumvent aging advertisement models and talk directly to your community? The only cost is your time? Fabulous! It can be like that, but it takes some very specific strategy to achieve that kind of success. At Transparent Language, we've built our Social Media following to nearly 3 million fans on Facebook alone. Our blogs receive over 200,000 visitors each month, and our YouTube videos have been viewed more than 2 million times. And we built most of it, not with a large team or budget, but with a single dedicated staff member. Truly grassroots. The lessons we've learned along the way can benefit our library clients, too. In this slide deck, a follow-up to Lorien Green's presentation at NELA 2014, we present our "secret sauce"."

"Social media is here to stay. Never before have people been able to connect, share, and learn from one another as we do now. As a result, our students need skills to win at life in a digital world. The ability to use social media to support life goals and possibilities can be a game-changer. I know it has been very powerful for me in my professional life." & reasons are discussed by the author.

"The exploding popularity of YouTube videos to the infamous tweets that started a revolution, students are inundated with these new media formats. But do they know how to use and accurately cite social media?" Some downloadable sheets from EasyBib

"This collection of blogs, articles, and videos aims to help educators deploy social-media tools to develop professionally, connect with parents and communities, and engage students in 21st-century learning. By Ashley Cronin, Edutopia. originally published Feb 12, 2013. Updated: Feb 19, 2015"

Short video published on 2 Oct 2015 by Common Sense Media. "Social Media is a way of life for many teens, and even some tweens. Here are 5 rules to share with your kids before they start posting, uploading or sharing online"

"Those who do not learn how to utilize social media strategically run a great risk of encountering obstacles when seeking employment or admission. Research has been clear that social media can serve important professional purposes, such as personal branding, self-promotion ad impression management (Chen, 2013; Jackson & Lilleker, 2011; Labrecque et al., 2011; Zhao et al., 2013), and we encourage its intentional positive use. We suggest that all youth (and young adults!) work extra hard to do great things at school and in their community (e.g., making the honor roll, volunteering, extra-curricular activities, etc.) so that when one does search for them, they find evidence of hard work, integrity, and civic-mindedness."

"Social media is another tool that you can use to make your classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse."

"While you want to encourage teenage students to develop a healthy sense of independence and make their own decision, you also want to protect them from the dangers in the world. In order to make sure their experiences with social media are positive, consider the tips in this post "

"Online Colleges created this simple teacher's guide for using social media below. It provides some specific strategies for applying tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube to any classroom. It has tips for communicating and curating, and celebrating student work. "

"Some simple ideas for addressing cyberbullying, online privacy, Internet safety, online privacy, cyberbullying, media balance, online relationships, news and media literacy. The Digital citizenship topics tackle big questions"

"Why Digital Citizenship is No Longer Just an "Elective" As teachers, it is now part of our responsibility to lead by example when it comes to sound digital citizenship practices. As soon as children have devices in their hands, they should be educated about digital citizenship and their digital footprint. Think about this: even before babies are born, they have a digital shadow, because pictures and other media are shared about them via various social media outlets."

"In a world filled with blogs, tweets, texts, social media posts, and memes, it's more important than ever that students understand the norms of appropriate and responsible technology use. No matter which subject or grade you teach, you can help your students live, grow, and work in a technology-driven global community. Not sure how to begin teaching the many components of 21st century, technology-based learning? The nine elements of digital citizenship are a great place to start."

"Our project is designed for kids aged 4-16yrs who are interested in gaining digital media skills, exploring their creativity and developing online social skills. We are currently using the video game Minecraft to support a safe, whitelisted server and a range of activities which encourage kids to choose their own playful learning pathways and adventures."

"Our project is designed for kids aged 4-16yrs who are interested in gaining digital media skills, exploring their creativity and developing online social skills. We are currently using the video game Minecraft to support a safe, whitelisted server and a range of activities which encourage kids to choose their own playful learning pathways and adventures."

Useful advice

"NIST Year 9 students have worked very hard to collaboratively create this website. This website will teach you all about Digital citizenship and how important it is in the online world. Students have either worked alone or in groups to create videos which will teach you about the various different sections of digital citizenship, these include; Ergonomics, Online Safety, Online Security, Social Media Safety, Digital Etiquette, License and Rights, Digital Commerce and Online Tips. "