In my opinion, teaching students about
social networking is a critical 21st century lesson.
Students need to be aware of both the positives and negatives of
social networking. Older students will likely already have several
social network accounts and teachers should be able to provide
guidance to these students in order to keep them safe while online.
How can teachers use/teach social
networking tools in the classroom?
- Lead by example
- If the teacher has a class website or blogs regularly, students are more likely to do the same
- Stress the importance of individuality and creativity so that students create their own work instead of using the work of their peers
- Explain and discuss the concept of plagiarism
- Students need to know that online work belongs to someone
- Help students learn to give credit when they use or reference work that they didn't personally create
- Teach about online safety
- Show students how easy it is to find information about someone
- Encourage students to create a list of internet ground rules (never post your address online, do not post revealing information about yourself etc)
- Assist students in understanding that once something is posted on the web, it's public – even if settings are set to 'private!'
- Encourage students to try something new
- Show them a new app or let them explore new areas of interest
- Have a place where students can share new social networking tools they have found
- Help students improve on what they already know
- Nearly all students have a Twitter account, but they may not have known that Twitter allows you to create lists
- Consider having students teach someone about a social networking tool such as a grandparent to help them keep in touch.
I must admit, my favourite bullet here is the first one....lead by example. The more we model blogging in a real and authentic way, the more our students will see the relevance and purpose of using these tools in a real life context. I wonder, do you see an area in your own life (not education) that you could model the use of sharing, reflection...Z
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely - I love sharing and reflecting with others! About 5 years ago, I left on a 1-year trip to Chad, Africa where I taught English. This was an incredible experience for me, however I had to work through a lot of "culture shock" when I returned to North America. About a month ago, I was speaking to a young adult who had just come back from a term in the Hawaiian Islands. She had experienced many of the same difficulties that I had when readjusting to life in Canada, and I was able to work with her to help her address her personal readjustment difficulties. It was definitely a beneficial discussion for not only her, but also for me!
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