My incredibly capable group…and I decided to focus on how social media for our inquiry topic. We broke this rather large topic down into four inquiry questions: How can social media be used within the classroom, to connect to the world, to teach the new literacies, and safely and responsibly through an appreciation for and meaningful understanding of digital citizenry? Personally, I am interested in the possibilities of connecting within the classroom through various social media platforms. One teacher/blogger, Adam Renfro, identifies the important reasons for incorporating social media into the learning experience. According to Renfro, the sheer quantity and popularity of these kinds of online communication tools is reason enough, and “[t]he more we can make schools seem like the world that exists outside of the 8a.m.-to-3:30p.m. confines, the better.”. In other words, as ever, we have to continue to look for ways to make learning meaningful to our students. And, it would seem that, for whatever reason, facebook and twitter and instagram are meaningful to kids today (if only as a major and arguably unhealthy addiction for some).
But, teachers can use this new media to their advantage. As Renfro points out, “social networking lets you incorporate real-world experiences into your classroom. You can teach students how to collaborate online, adhere to acceptable-use policies, and develop best practices for networking before they stumble through on their own.” Huzzah! So, everyone’s happy. Students can click clack away on their smart phones, iPads, and computers and teachers can sneak the learning in there. It’ll be like hiding vegetables in a pasta sauce, so you’re picky eater gets a little extra nutrition. Students can collaborate and investigate, learn and experiment, and they won’t even know that they’re doing it. Or, at the very least, it will be somewhat less forced and unnatural than sitting down in front of an empty Word document with a book in one hand and a giant case of writer’s block in the other.
Renfro, Adam. ” 8 Social Media Strategies for Your Classroom | Getting Smart.” Think. Learn. Innovate. | Getting Smart. 22 Dec. 2011. Web. 9 July 2013.
Don’t you find it funny that a significant challenge in education today is to make learning in schools relevant to students? When I think of how many hours we spend in schools year after year. Yes, please, let’s make it relevant!
Absolutely! I am continually asking myself how to make the curriculum more meaningful to my students. I think that by focusing on the “why” we have a much better chance of doing this. This class has really impressed upon me the value of asking such an important question before you set out to plan a lesson or use a particular piece of technology. I will never avoid creating a rationale for my unit and lesson plans again! I promise.
Kristine, great topic idea. At the start of this course, I wasn’t sure how social media would fit in the classroom or school library. Maybe because the ways I saw it being used were teachers trying to be ‘relevant’ but not quite making it meaningful. They were using technology for the sake of using technology. This course has forced me to consider the why we’re using the technology for teaching instead of what technology are we teaching. I can’t wait to see what your group has discovered!
Hahahaha! I love your sneaking vegetables analogy. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do. 🙂