#SocialMedia

Everyone uses social media.  Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and probably a whole lot more that I don't even know about about.  Some people use social media as a way to stay connected with old and current friends.  Others use it as a form of news.  Overall social media is used as a way to network, share ideas and stay up to date.  So the question becomes, should social media be used in the school setting?

There are quite a few positives and negatives to incorporating social media sites in the school setting.  Before one jumps completely on board, I think that it is important for them to consider possible dangers such as cyberbullying or the fact that social media can distract students.  On the other hand, there are many ways to advance education through social media that one should not eliminate it completely.  Students make connections online through social media sites.  Social media can aid students in collaborating on projects outside of the classroom.  Social media also provides a platform to communicate which can encourage quiet or introverted students to contribute.

In my classroom I have tried to incorporate technology that mimics the pros of social media without taking on all of the downsides.  I encourage my students to use Google Drive apps when completing group projects to assist student interaction outside of class.  I have used a website called Today's Meet to give all students a voice as I propose questions in class.  Remind is a great tool for one-way communication with students and athletes.  By using this app I am able to sent text reminders to my athletes.

Some would argue that my incorporation of technology is not the same as incorporating social media.  Although this is true, I looked at what were the benefits of social media and tried to find a way that I was comfortable incorporating it into my classroom.  Others may choose to use social media in their classrooms and that is fine.  My district has stricter restrictions on social media preventing me from doing so.  If someone were to ask me if they should incorporate social media in their classroom, I would say that they should look at both sides of the issue.  If a teacher feels prepared to overcome the difficulties that go along with social media, then I say go for it.  I do not think that a school district should set the rule on social media, but that individual teachers should think about what their goals are and if social media would aid in that endeavor.

But wait!

Regardless of what you decide about using social media in your classroom, you should definitely consider using social media for your own professional use.  Think about all of the connections you could make with other educators.  Trends in education are investigated on social media and teachers post great ideas that they have.  One of my favorite forms of social media for education is Twitter.  (If you want to to learn more about Twitter as a professional learning network, read my "Connections" post from May.)  This week let me introduce you to two new forms of social media that are great for sharing ideas and websites.


Pinterest is a great tool for "pinning" ideas, websites, videos, or lessons.  Start by creating boards to organize your resources.  Here are a couple of my boards:

As I search through Pinterest or browse the internet and find things that I like, I pin them to one of my boards so that I can easily find them again.  I have used Pinterest as a way to get inspiration on how to collect student work or new class activities.  Pinterest has a "wall" like Facebook.  When I first login, I can view pins from boards or pinners that I follow.  If you are a creative or visual person, Pinterest is the thing for you.  To learn more, watch this YouTube about Pinterest for Education.

This YouTube also shares how to embed your Pinterest Board in a website in case you want to share it with students.  Let's see if this works!

I love it when I learn something new . . . especially when it makes me feel like a technology wiz!



For those of you who are more analytical, Pinterest may not be the thing for you.  Still wouldn't it be nice to have a way to organize all of your favorite websites and resources?  Symbaloo EDU is just the thing for you!  Symbaloo is a visual bookmarking tool.  Each square icon can be linked to a website that you or your students frequent.  Icons can be grouped under particular topics.  I have a list of twenty-five websites and apps that I use frequently in my classroom.  I created a symbaloo to organize them.  If you hover over the squares grouped by the same background color, you can see how I categorized my websites.  Check it out.  (I just learned how to embed another tool into my blog!)

Aside from organizing websites, symbaloo is also an excellent way to learn great ideas from other educators.  You can search symbaloo for public webmixes.  I found some with resources that I will use in the high school math classroom.  Take a look for yourself and see if you can find any geared towards your content area.

Well I hope that you are inspired to try some new forms of social media.  Get out there and learn from others, but don't forget to share your great ideas!