Using Social Media in the Classroom

Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay.  Undoubtedly, I am more connected to friends and family than I would be without the use of social media.  So, how is it changing education?  Is it changing the learning environment?    

Social media is impacting the learning environment of today's students and teachers.  Learning does not and should not solely take place within the four walls of a classroom.

Social media is changing the learning environment for me, as a teacher, through professional development.  Social media, especially Twitter, allows me to have meaningful professional development with colleagues all over the world.  I have access to relevant information 24/7 and I can pose questions to individuals in my Professional Learning Network.  Teachers can also follow hashtags, lists, and participate in tweet hours.  Social media has also changed the cost of professional development for school districts.  Using Twitter, teachers do not need to be physically present for PD trainings.  While teachers still do attend some conferences in person, school districts have been able to reduce the cost of PD.  The book, Social Media for Educators: Strategies and Best Practices, emphasizes that teachers need to play an active role and not just be an observer if social media is going to be meaningful to them.  The book also states, "The impact of social media is dependent on the network of individuals you develop" (Joosten, p. 17, 2012).  In school districts, social media is available for educators to connect with others in the same field and to develop a high quality of skills needed in the educational field.

Students are also engaged when it comes to technology.  We, as educators, should harness their interests and engage students by using social media in the classroom.  I recently read an article, My Favorite Teachers Use Social Media: A Student Perspective, and the last paragraph really struck me, "I hope that educators will consider experimenting more with technology and social media in their classrooms in a way that will be intellectually challenging to students.  Believe me, your students will appreciate it, even if not every attempt is successful." - Katie Benmar.

Katie makes a good point.  I think some teachers don't utilize technology and social media in their classrooms because they don't know if it will be successful, they don't feel comfortable with their knowledge base of the technology/tool, or they have fear of cyber bullying and privacy concerns.  The fact is, social media is not going away anytime soon.  I would rather incorporate social media into my classroom and teach students how to be responsible users (digital citizenship) than to ban it out of fear of the "what if's."  I ask my students to try new things all the time, so I also must be willing to step outside my comfort zone and try new things as well.

About two weeks ago, I incorporated Twitter into my classroom for the first time.  The response was not what I was anticipating.  The previous day, we were discussing SMART goals in terms of setting financial goals.  I asked them to send me a tweet - What does the acronym SMART stand for?  Some students immediately pulled out their phones and sent the tweet, but other students were hesitant.  When I asked why, they stated they didn't want their friends to see it on their Twitter feed or they were worried it was the incorrect answer.  I told them not to worry about the answer since it was more of an experiment for me.  A few students were still hesitant and even stated "other teachers don't make us tweet to them."  Despite the reluctance and protests, it was a good trial run.  The more I incorporate Twitter into weekly or daily lessons, students will become more comfortable with the idea.            

Vicki Davis posted A Guidebook for Social Media in the Classroom and some ways teachers are using social media in their classrooms.  I would love to hear from you.  What social media are you using in your classroom?  How are you using it?  Have you found it to be successful?  

Photo: flickr.com 

Google Classroom...The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

Plain and simple, Google Classroom has been my lifesaver this year.  I am new to Classroom but I am highly impressed with this platform and how easy it has been to incorporate into my classes.  I am learning more about Classroom everyday by following Alice Keeler's blog.  

As I stated, I am new to Classroom, but I would like to share how I have been using it in the first month of school.  

• Announcements: Classroom has a stream page where teachers and students (if you give them access) can post announcements.  I post when projects are due, upcoming tests, or any changes students might need to know.

• Post Resources: Before Classroom, I would email or post resources on my website.  That was fine, but students would forget to look on my website, state it wasn't there, or not find it in a timely manner.  With Classroom, I have one central location for students to look.  Ideally, I want students to check my Classroom everyday for assignments, resources, and announcements, but Classroom is relatively new for them as well. I'm sure in another month, it will be second nature for them to check it daily.

• Works with Google Drive: We have been a 1:1 school for almost 2 years, so I have most assignments in a digital format.  I can browse and attach anything in my Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.) to an assignment or announcement to share with students. 
• Assignments: I post most of my assignments in Classroom.  Students log into Classroom, find the assignment, open and complete the work, then turn it in.  I love the "turn in" feature in Classroom.  When a student is done with their assignment, they click the "turn in" button.  The assignment will automatically go to a folder within my Google Drive.  Before I used Classroom, I would share a Google Doc with students, they would make a copy, and share it back to me.  While that method worked, I would receive an additional 50 emails from my students that day.  Now, I do not receive those emails and I can quickly see how many students are done vs not done by going to that assignment in Classroom.  The one thing you need to remember when adding an assignment is what kind of viewing/editing privileges you are giving the students. 

• Post discussion questions: First, you can elect three different settings as far as student response.  1) They can post and comment within Google Classroom, 2) they can comment on a teacher's post, but can't create their own post, or 3) only the teacher can comment and post.  I allow my students to post and comment, because I want this to be a communication board.  
• Makes it easier when I'm gone: This past week I had my wisdom teeth removed and took a few days off.  Preparing for a sub has never been easier.  I loaded the assignments, descriptions, and resources into each class and set the due date.  If the students had any questions, they would comment on the assignment or create a post.  I would then receive an email notification if someone would comment/post, and I would be able to log in and help the students. 
• Makes it easier when students are gone: When students ask, "I was gone yesterday, what did I miss?"  The answer is usually, "Look in Classroom."  Ideally, I would like to get to the point when a student is absent, they automatically go to Classroom and complete any assignment that might be posted.  That way, when they return, they are not behind. (I know....probably not going to happen, but I can dream, right?)  
• Organization: I love how Classroom keeps me organized. Everything is in one centralized location. 

If you are new to Classroom, it only takes a few minutes to set up.  Here is a short video overview of Google Classroom.

Alice Keeler has an amazing blog on Google Classroom.  If you would like to learn more about Classroom, her blog is a great starting point.   

If you aren't using Google Classroom, I highly recommend you try it.  Here are 10 Things to Start with in Google Classroom.

Since I am relatively new to Google Classroom, I would love to hear how you are using it in your classroom.  How are you using it?  What have been your successes and failures?  What should I try next in Classroom?

Welcome to my new blog!

I will be using this blog to document my learning journey through UNI's Instructional Technology master's program.  I graduated from UNI in 2011 with a degree in business education.  Currently, I teach 5-12 business and technology at Coon Rapids-Bayard.