Social Media in Education

The following video is one that I discovered while researching technologies this weekend on YouTube.



This video really stood out at me for 2 reasons. 1) The facts and statistics presented in the video are shocking, and support using social media in schools. 2) So many people fight using social media.

Last school year, I wanted to create a Ning site for my history students. I thought that it would be a great place for them to "be" another person. Rather than have to write about George Washington, they could become George Washington. Rather than memorize random facts (that do play some importance), students would truly THINK (yes, that dreaded word) about how Washington would have felt, what relationships he would have formed, and what he would have said. So what if Washington and Hitler didn't live at the same time period? Don't you think that Washington would have had thoughts about Hitler and his beliefs. This project would truly meet higher levels of Bloom's because students would have to create these profiles , discussions, and relationships based on their knowledge. Also, I'm only 26, I know that students live in a digital world. It would be much easier to get students to comment on a reading homework assignment through a social media site.

By now, I'm sure you are wondering what my point is. Well, here it is. I had what I thought was a great idea. And how did others' respond to my idea? They shot it down immediately. I was told my our technology department that social media was not allowed under the user agreement even if I created our own site and maintained the site. What a disappointment!

This video just backed up what I felt all along and what I hoped when I wrote my vision for the future. So many are afraid of technology that they won't even take a chance on it. According to the video, last years high school students scored the lowest EVER on the SAT. Rather than blame it on media like many have done, I think that the reasoning behind this is that students are not being tested in what they know. They live in a technological world where information is at their fingertips, yet we expect them to have everything memorized and written (or rather bubbled-in) on a piece of paper.

I wrote my Research class paper on the effects of social media in education. While the purpose of the paper was to prove a null effect, I found time and time again that research supported social media in education. This video brought up a great point....research and hands-on questioning are available now more than ever. The video suggested using Twitter to ask Maya Angelo "why the caged bird sings?" I bet every student in that room would remember that assignment more than a 5 page critique. Yes, writing and critiquing have their place in education, but when are we going to stop trying to stifle and forbid technology and start embracing its use.

This article discusses the pros and cons of using Twitter in the classroom. I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons.

In conclusion, social media is everywhere! The stats about its use by both adults and teenagers is astounding. I think we need to quit fearing the worst and start meeting kids where they are living. Watch the video, read the article, and tell me what you think.

Do you think social media has a role in education?

Review: Teaching the IGeneration

Image via Wikipedia

The article that I read was called Teaching the IGeneration.

The article appeared in Educational Leadership; February 2011, Vol. 68 Issue 5, p10-15, 6p.

You can obtain the article by following this link:

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.apsu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b41fff14-a207-4299-869d-031c74b1abc8%40sessionmgr12&vid=3&hid=9

This article discusses how students in this current age (post 2000) are so comfortable using technology. The author opens the article by discussing a 3 year old who can work a smartphone, a 7 year old who knows how to connect the printer to an Ipad, and a group of pre-teens who use their phones to search information. The author discusses how as educators, we need to start focusing on ways to add technology into our curriculum. The article makes sure to point out that this process should not require more work for the teacher, but rather should be taught to the educators. When used correctly, technology can be such a positive force for this generation of life-long learners.

I chose this article because of our discussion this week on the current state of technology in schools. My rural high school is very behind based on the STAR Assessment. I feel like my distinct needs to see this article. We are doing a disservice to our students by ignoring the fact that this is the world they live in. We are not meeting our students where they are at digitally.

This article poses a few questions:

1. What role does technology play in our high schools?
2. What problems could arise from using technology in schools?
3. How strong is technological education in your district?
4. Would this article help convince your district to improve technology in its schools?

What do you think? I'm in the IGeneration and I think we need to amp up our technology soon!