So Dictionary.com defines social media as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking”. I have to be honest, this is news to me. I thought social media only included web apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and snapchat etc. and were only just about social networking. My eyes have now been open and my view broadened, which has helped me realise that our students and staff actually use quite a few social media networks in our teaching and learning.
These are some of the social media websites and applications that I use in my class:
Google Apps: Most students in my class own their own Chromebook. We also have access to ipads and iMacs. We have been using Google Apps such as Docs, presentations and google forms as a part of our everyday learning for about 5 years. Students mostly work with others, so Google apps work perfectly for students sharing and collaborating. One of the greatest benefits is that students are able to work together anywhere/ anytime. Learning doesn’t just have to happen in the classroom or school, it goes beyond the gate. A challenge with shared docs, presentation etc that we sometimes have, is students accidentally deleting and moving someone else work. Thankfully this doesn’t happen quite as often as it uses to when we first got our Chromebooks.
Blogs: Every student in my class has an individual learning blog. This replaced paper-based student portfolios. The purpose of their blog is to be able to share their learning with others, especially their whanau and the wider school community. Although we encourage parents to post feedback on their child’s blog this rarely happens and is something we want to improve. The students love their blogs as they can show their learning in lots of interesting ways such as writing, videos, photos, screencasts etc. It makes them feel very proud. A challenge we have with blogs is that some (a very small handful) of parents do not want their child’s blog to be public. We are OK with this, but it makes it really difficult for the student to have a wide audience and get feedback from others.
These are some of the social media websites and applications that I use in my professional development:
YouTube: Thank god for YouTube!! I love youtube!! When I moved from teaching in a Y4-5 class to teaching a Y6-8 class and suddenly had to teach Level 4- 5 maths it was my saviour!!! I’m also quite a visual learner so often find videos more engaging and easier to follow. It’s also made me find more interesting and transformational ways to use YouTube in my classroom as a learning tool or a way for either myself or my students to share their learning. A challenge we have around this is privacy and safety. I’m not sure how we can limit this except for being aware and well informed about the dangers and how to be a responsible You Tuber.
Facebook: Facebook can be hard to keep up with sometimes, and sometimes there is a load of rubbish posted on there, but at the same time I follow some great professional groups such as Longworth Education, Mindshift, Tedtalks, NZ Primary Teachers, etc. I find Facebook especially worthwhile when I am focussing on a specific inquiry and need to keep up to date and on top of new and current research. What ‘s even better is that I don’t need to go and search for things, they just pop up on my newsfeeds and can be saved for when I have time to look at them. I can also share these easily with my colleagues, or with whanau. The challenge with Facebook is similar to YouTube. A growing digital footprint, and cyber safety.
No comments:
Post a Comment