As a person who has always had access technology,
understanding and knowing how to use social media has been a part of my life
since I was in middle school. Over the years, as my own social media use has evolved, I have also seen policies and practices
governing social media interactions emerge and expand, and I have adapted accordingly.
However, the level of understanding I have and comfort I feel has not always
aligned with the policies and practices of my profession.
Because I personally use and depend on technology every day,
I can see a wide range of educational applications for these platforms;
however, integrating those ideas is not always possible if a school district’s
policies prohibit the use of social media during the instructional day. If secondary education policies do not catch up to those used in higher education, I believe these prohibitive
measures will have both local and far-reaching negative effects.
The most immediate consequence for high school
students learning in this restrictive environment will be their inability
to learn to navigate professional use of social media. It is our responsibility to teach them these skills, so they can both find employment and enjoy professional success in this digital world. It isn't enough to say "Colleges and future employers will see what you post online!" We have to help them understand the
politics, best practices, and the social rules that govern these professional
interactions and practice using these platforms in an educational environment.
Carver Weakley
Cosby High School
Midlothian, Virginia
I have not spent any time in the past on social media. As an extremely private person, I have always felt better not being on any of it. Because of this Institute, I am now using it, but still feel that I really do not understand how to navigate it and it's usefulness. I am hoping that I will learn a lot regarding it.
ReplyDeleteShetye Cypher
Tompkins High School
Katy, Texas
Interesting post. I'm glad I'm not a school administrator, and I don't know what the dark district overlords and risk-management departments demand of them, but when it comes to journalism there's a big gap in instruction and audience engagement when schools block social media. I've had participants start on Twitter and Facebook because of the institute and continue on, and I've had participants (far fewer) do it for the length of the institute and drop it. One of the key lessons from this experience is a better understanding of what students and the news media are doing on social media.
ReplyDeleteSteve Elliott
Arizona State University
Phoenix
Carver hit a sore spot with me. I'm tired of having to justify my need for my students to have access to Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc., in the classroom. I'm hoping to gather more ammunition at the Institute as to why access to social media is providing my students "real-world" journalism skills. I understand (or accept because on a technological level I'm not really sure I do understand it) that sometimes giving my students access to certain technology automatically gives the whole campus access to certain technology, but I sometimes think that's an excuse. There has to be a happy medium.
ReplyDeleteKris Urban
Corona del Sol High School
Tempe, Ariz.
I am very lucky because I work in a 1:1 high school, meaning each student has an iPad and access to the internet at his/her fingertips at all times. We are encouraged to use Twitter with our students and it is not blocked at school. Facebook, Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat are blocked, however. Twitter is a good start, though, and since we use it everyday, I am able to promote my yearbook and know that people will see our tweets. Because of the district's encouragement in using Twitter, the students learn how to use it and are, for the most part, responsible with their own tweets. I think that if administrators were less afraid of the risks and more open to the benefits, social media in the classroom would be much more accepted and used.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Wimmer
New Braunfels High School
New Braunfels, TX
I am very lucky because I work in a 1:1 high school, meaning each student has an iPad and access to the internet at his/her fingertips at all times. We are encouraged to use Twitter with our students and it is not blocked at school. Facebook, Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat are blocked, however. Twitter is a good start, though, and since we use it everyday, I am able to promote my yearbook and know that people will see our tweets. Because of the district's encouragement in using Twitter, the students learn how to use it and are, for the most part, responsible with their own tweets. I think that if administrators were less afraid of the risks and more open to the benefits, social media in the classroom would be much more accepted and used.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Wimmer
New Braunfels High School
New Braunfels, TX
My district is going 1:1 this fall, but already there's talk of keeping YouTube blocked (and we're going Chromebooks). If that's not insanity, I don't know what is, considering that YouTube is such a large part of the Google ecosystem. Quite honestly, I can live without Facebook unblocked and throw them a bone (my kids can use their personal phones to get on there). But Twitter and YouTube? It almost feels like "play journalism" without those things. Very defensive on the part of our administrators when they do this!
ReplyDeleteKeith Carlson
Naperville Central High School
Naperville, Ill.