How to Use Social Media as a Learning Tool

Social media is an ingrained part of today’s society. Our students are constantly on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and likely many sites we’re not hip enough to know about, and by reading this blog, you’re interacting with social media at this very moment. If you want to bring the “real world” into the classroom, consider integrating social media into your lessons.

No Longer a Distraction

Image via Flickr by Sean MacEntee

When used carefully, social media can be a useful tool rather than a distraction. A recent Edutopia blog post argues that using social media not only brings current technology to the classroom, but it also helps bridge the digital divide among lower-income students. These students may not have the constant access to social media that their counterparts do. Why should they be left behind as technology continues to march forward?

Education-based sites such as Edmodo, Edublog, and Kidblog provide alternative social media sites for posting status updates and announcements, blogging, and microblogging. But even the commercialized sites can be useful for demonstrating social media to students.

Create a Class Facebook Group

Facebook is known as a place to post status updates, announcements, photos, and video — all things that we likely use in our classes anyway. Create a Facebook group for each class, on which you can post assignments, make announcements, and remind students about important deadlines. Parents can also access the site to monitor what is going on in your class.

A Facebook group also creates a space for students to ask and answer questions. When students get home and begin working on their homework, they can post a question to the group’s wall that either you or a classmate can answer. Since students often learn from others, having students share their questions, insights, or experiences with a topic can expand learning for other students. In short, it extends the classroom discussion beyond the classroom.

A Facebook group is also ideal for teachers using the flipped classroom. Post videos, photos, documents, and other resources on the group’s wall so that students can access them before class or while working on their assignments.

Of course, content management systems can offer the same opportunities for announcements and resources. However, because many older students and parents already have Facebook on their phones and tablets, they have constant access to course information without having to log in to a completely different system.

Start a Topical Twitter Feed

Like Facebook, Twitter offers a quick way to post class announcements and reminders as well as real-time information on class field trips (perfect for parents who can’t tag along). Twitter also helps classes track information on a topic.

For instance, for a class discussing a current event or topic such as career ideas, Twitter can provide up-to-date information, eliminating the need for extensive research. By following the Twitter feeds of experts in the field or even hashtags focused on a current world issue, students can learn more about what is happening in the world around them. You can use this information in a variety of class discussions, research, and writing projects.

Twitter is made not only for reading, but also for responding. Encourage students to interact with others via Twitter by posting their favorite quotes or facts from a particular lesson. Have them interact with experts by tweeting questions or comments. Many organizations offer Twitter chat sessions with which students can interact.

Require Students to Blog

Student writing improves the more they do it. Instead of traditional writing projects, blogs create great opportunities for students to write and display their writing on a larger scale. The topic ideas are endless. Have students reflect on lessons or field trips, document research for a larger project; or review movies, books, or audio recordings. Ask students to illustrate their thoughts with photos or videos.

By having students read each other’s blog posts, they will create a stronger community with one another, discovering shared experiences and reactions. Because their work becomes part of the greater World Wide Web, students have increased motivation to carefully consider their language, spelling, and grammar usage as well as how they draw in outside information. In this vein, blogging can be an excellent segue into a discussion on plagiarism, voice, and writing style.

Post Student Videos to YouTube

Like Facebook, YouTube is an excellent option for flipped classrooms in that students can watch lectures and resources before entering the classroom. We have all probably shown a YouTube clip or two to illustrate a point in the classroom. Instead of watching material created by others, why not have students create their own material?

Similar to blogging, the opportunities for student-created video are plenty. Students will enjoy watching each other explain a concept, review a book or movie, stage their own interpretation of a scene from a play, create public service announcements, or report on news stories. Again, like blogging, since the material will be seen by a wider audience, students will be more apt to do their very best in creating a video, and they will enjoy being able to express their creativity as they connect more deeply with course material.

Showcase Student Work on Instagram

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine what a carefully crafted class Instagram feed can say. Instagram can showcase student work by offering a place to feature student artwork or even interesting details about a student (i.e., a “meet a student” photo journal). Start a scavenger hunt in which students post pictures of items focused on a certain letter or theme. Have students post photos of items related to their favorite book or historical figure.

A Final World on Social Media

Privacy concerns are always an issue whether using social media for personal or educational use. Please read all social media platforms’ privacy pages, and ensure that your class feeds are set to private to protect students’ work. Review your school’s social media policy and if necessary, have parents sign consent forms for posting their child’s work online. Furthermore, make sure that students are well versed in etiquette and other proper use of technology.

In Short

Since students are already using social media away from the classroom, integrating it into the classroom helps students learn best practices for social media and offers an interesting new twist on lessons.

Digitally Speaking / Using Social Media to Reach Your Community

To the dismay of television producers who count on viewers spending free time on the couch passively consuming content, citizens of most developed nations are spending more free time connecting with one another through social media.

Consider that

• 61 percent of adults who regularly go online—and 73 percent of online teens—interact with one another on social networking websites (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010; Madden, 2010).
• People spend 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook. The average Facebook user spends 55 minutes per day on the site (Facebook, 2010; Hepburn, 2010a).
• 50 million messages daily (or 600 messages per second) are posted on Twitter, a microblogging site with 145 million users (Alexa, 2010; Compete, 2010; Hepburn, 2010b; Weil, 2010).
• YouTube has 24 hours of new video uploaded every minute and receives 2 billion daily page views (Hepburn, 2010c).

Mirroring these trends, educators are now increasingly taking advantage of social media services and tools. A recent survey showed that 61 percent of teachers, principals, and librarians are active in at least one social media space. Many use those spaces for professional development—attending webinars, watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, or participating on blogs (edWeb.net, 2010).

What's frustrating—particularly to many younger teachers—is that the same social media spaces widely embraced outside schools are routinely blocked within schools by district firewalls. Fears—driven by concerns about cyberbullying or inappropriate postings—cause school leaders to think twice about whether the advantages of social media outweigh the potential consequences of misuse.

For schools who've embraced social media spaces as tools for reaching out, however, the rewards are real. As Eric Sheninger, principal of New Milford High School in New Jersey, a school with an active Twitter account (http://twitter.com/newmilfordhs) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/New-Milford-NJ/New-Milford-High-School/114382501908040) explains,

Unlike traditional forms of communication such as snail mail and press releases, I can provide updates in real time as events happen, on Twitter and in Facebook. Since society as a whole is actively using social media, it only makes sense to connect with my community through these means. (E. Sheninger, personal communication, September 30, 2010)

Connecting is exactly what Sheninger does through Facebook and Twitter. Explore his posts in both places and you'll see messages that celebrate the school's athletic victories, spotlight student work, and promote functions like parent nights and performances. You'll also see parents and other community members interacting with teachers and with one another—lending congratulations, asking questions, sharing opinions. Finally, you'll see Sheninger eagerly sharing photographs from school events and links to local newspaper articles, videos, and resources connected to student learning. New Milford High stakeholders can receive information on school events, student accomplishments, and innovations in the classroom from any Internet-connected computer or mobile device any time.

Perhaps most exciting for Sheninger is that participation in social media spaces enables him to tap into the thoughts and feelings of students—a group often overlooked in conversations about teaching and learning. "My students took notice of my affinity for Twitter during a meeting with members of student government," he explains. "They conveyed that Facebook was a more appropriate medium to reach them and disseminate the same information." So now, many New Milford High School students follow the school's Facebook page, joining in community conversations that they hadn't been a part of before.

Proceed with Caution

Although Sheninger is proud of the work that he is doing in social media, he has also walked cautiously. All the messages he shares are connected to learning or to school events. He also has every family complete a new media release form before sharing pictures or video featuring students, and he regularly communicates with stakeholders about the purposes of New Milford's social media efforts. With these precautions in place, Sheninger told me, the school district has enthusiastically supported his efforts.

So what would Sheninger recommend to leaders interested in using social media to reach out to school communities? "The first step is to lurk and learn," he explains.

Watch what other principals are doing to get a good idea of information and content being shared with stakeholders. Begin to establish a vision and some goals as to what you want to accomplish using social media. I do not suggest diving right in. As you become more comfortable, begin to gradually share information relating to your school, students, staff, and the education profession. Finally, as with any new endeavor, communicate with the appropriate supervisors to elicit their support. (E. Sheninger, personal communication, September 30, 2010)

Integrating social media tools into a school's work is essential if leaders hope to build meaningful relationships with stakeholders. Although encouraging teachers to integrate social media into instructionmay not be a risk you're ready to take, integrating these tools into your school's communication plans is an excellent first step.

Connecting a Classroom: Reflections on Using Social Media With Students

Through Twitter, Instagram, Skype, Flickr, and blogging, my students published their projects and writing to an audience beyond their peers and me. Along the way, we reflected on what social media added to our classroom as well as what it required of us. I want to share some reflections as I enter a second year facilitating a connected high school classroom.

Why Connect?

Connected classrooms can reach beyond physical barriers to create conversations with people from other classrooms, cultures, and communities. Social media provides venues for students to share their stories both within and beyond the classroom. It also grants opportunities for them to hear stories from beyond their school. Finally, being connected helps students recognize the power of personal voice.

When I asked my students mid-year what they thought social media added to our classroom, they offered the following responses:

• “Social media can expand our thoughts and ideas and connect us to what is going on in the rest of the world. It would be cool getting ideas that are actually present outside our community.” Michael A.
• “We could use social media as a class to compare and contrast ideas on different projects…[it] could be used to begin discussions.” Mandy S.
• “It is cool how we have posted pictures on Instagram of what we are doing in class...We should also look at other classes from other schools and see if they give us any good ideas about stuff we can do in class.” Daniel S.

Overwhelmingly, students agreed they liked expanding learning through social media platforms. They also understood the value of seeking out different perspectives, ideas, and feedback from a greater community.

I recently asked a parent her opinion of our connected classroom. She affirmed that she loved it: “My daughter tends to be quiet. Even when I would ask her about her day and what she learned, she often gave me short, concise answers. By following your classroom’s social media, I was able to get a window into her day--what she was learning and what she was working on.”

What is your purpose for connecting your classroom? Before you can think about how to connect, you need to understand why. Do you want to engage parents? Maybe connect with other classrooms? Teach your students important digital literacy skills? Perhaps all three. Once you establish the priorities and purpose of connecting your classroom, you are ready to tackle the “how.”

Choose a Platform

First, choose a platform that make sense. Here are some questions to guide you:

• What platform(s) are you most comfortable with in your own personal or professional life? Starting from a place of some experience is always helpful when doing something new in your classroom.
• What platform(s) will help you access your target audience? If your primary target is to connect with parents, find out what social media platform they are on. Choosing a platform parents are using will more likely encourage them to interact with your classroom feed.
• What platform(s) will work best on the devices you have in class as well as your district’s policies? For example, posting to Instagram is limited to the mobile device app found on smartphones and tablets, but posting from Twitter is possible from both mobile devices and laptops. Some districts may block certain sites. Understand your technology parameters before choosing the tools.

Freshman student Meghan wrote in her mid-year reflection: “I like connecting to other classrooms, but I feel we should channel our energy into one or two platforms.” After trying to develop our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and blogging platforms simultaneously, I agree that starting with one or two platforms makes sense. However, if you know how to connect platforms, cross-posting can be as simple as one-click.

Communication Is Key

Once a platform(s) is chosen, contact your building administration for advice on following district policies and messaging your use of social media to the community. Find a way to communicate to parents your purpose and platform for connecting your classroom. For students under the age of 18, permission from parents is often needed to publish pictures, videos, and work of students. Be sure to consider family’s privacy and rights before sharing.

I found that for most parents, an email or letter was all that was needed to establish permission and trust. For the few parents who were hesitant, I reached out through a phone call to discuss their fears. Although this felt intimidating, I found these calls helpful in educating parents about the importance of modeling social media for learning in our classrooms. Many parents were thankful that another adult could help their son/daughter develop these skills, and all signed that their child could be involved if he/she chose.

The Importance of Co-Ownership

When introducing the platform in your classroom, ask students to help develop ways to use that platform to connect within and beyond your classroom. Co-create virtual community with students rather than for them. This obviously looks different for elementary classrooms than for secondary, but all students should feel a sense of ownership over the classroom accounts.

Last year, driven by a suggestion from a student, we created “social media teams” based on student preference. This year, I will again offer that option, but integrate class time for those teams to work. I also will not make it optional--each person has to commit to sharing through one of our classroom platforms.

In elementary classrooms, teachers may create “Tweet slips” for all students to practice sharing ideas in 140 characters. The class might vote on which tweet should be posted from the class account. Some elementary teachers reward students with the role of being the “Twitter reporter” for the period or day. That student asks peers for Tweetable quotes, takes pictures of class activities to summarize and tweet out, and engages other classrooms by tweeting out questions related to a current class discussion.

Build Connection Into Your Classroom Culture

Be intentional about communicating with your students about how social media or blogging enhances the learning already taking place in the classroom. Instead of an exit slip, ask students to tweet or post a summary from the day. To share out from small group work, ask students to post an image to the class Instagram with a caption explaining their work. Invite experts to chime in on class discussions by having a student post thoughtful questions through social media or blogs.

For additional resources, see these two presentations: Using Social Writing and Media in the Classroom and A Connected Classroom. These will provide more examples and ideas to help connect your classroom and expand the learning beyond your four walls. Connect with us and share your journey!