DEFINITIONS
Forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social
networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities, to
share information, ideas, personal messages and other content (as videos).
social media. 2016. In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved June 14, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20media
Per Dr. Martin, websites
and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate
in social networking.
DISCUSSION
Social media is here to stay, how social media is used will
simply change over time and different generations will use different social media
sites. The marketing community jumped on this bandwagon early on and educators
have seen the success. Now educators are using social media to connect with
students, parents, other educators, the school, the community, and the world.
In Larry Tinnerman’s video, Social Networking Strategies in
a University Education Classroom (2010), he points out that students work
better in collaboration and that social media can lead students to become a
community of learners. His example, of oversleeping due to a cold, and finding
out that his class led the lesson themselves, even turning in the roster and
their work to his office, all without his presence… was an impactful example of
what can happen when we engage students and they become a true “learning
community”.
The Pew Research study, Social Media and Mobile Internet Use
Among Teens and Young Adults (2010) reinforces the point that a large portion
of the population can be reached readily through social media sites.
Generational differences were noted. Where blogging was concerned, the younger
generations are “micro-blogging” through status updates, tweets, Instagram photos,
and now SnapChats. The older generations are “micro-blogging” through Facebook
status updates as well but are more likely to maintain a “macro-blog” similar
to what you see here. The research shows, that both teen and adult use of
social media has steadily risen and I would suggest that were this research to
be done again now we would see an even greater increase in use.
So we know social media is a more effective use of communication
than email or phone, but how is it being leveraged in education? In Moran,
Seaman, and Tinti-Kane’s article Teaching, Learning, and Sharing: How Today’s Higher
Education Faculty Use Social Media (2011) we find that Facebook and YouTube are
the top two social media sites used by faculty [again I would suggest that if
the research were run again today we would see TEDTalks ranking very high as
well]. Two-thirds of faculty use these in class. Eighty percent use online
videos in class. There appears to be no difference in awareness of social media
use and application in lessons but there is a difference in use based on age or
number of years teaching. Faculty who have the most years of service are less
likely to see usefulness of social media in the classroom and perhaps they know
something that we don’t. I do love the “social media breaks” I take (sometimes for
a whole month). It forces me to engage in things I find stimulating that there
is not enough time for in the normal “online, plugged in, world”. And indeed,
the number one concern identified in both the Pew Research article and in this
article was: TIME.
We know that social media in education works. It increases
student collaboration, encourages participation, provides a network for lots of
assistance and help, allows for sharing of resources, and keeps parents,
students, and teachers connected. Today’s larger discussion is beginning to
revolve around guidelines for use and best-practices; privacy and security
(FERPA), accessibility and compliance, stability of the technology, intellectual
property rights and copyright law. These are today’s quandaries concerning
using social media in the classroom. The resources I cite below with explore
these themes more.
RESOURCES
Article:
Social Networking Nightmares
This short article from the National Education Association
points out an example straight out of the Charlotte Observer where “two
probationary teachers faced termination for their Facebook musings that “I’m
feeling pissed because I hate my students,” and I’m “teaching in the most
ghetto school in Charlotte.”
You would think educators would know better, but this
article points out that with the advent of the social media explosion educators
really need to consider the personal and professional implications of use.
Web URL:
Guidelines on Ethical Use of Social Media
The New Zealand Teacher’s Council has a great one-page job
aid here that quickly highlights guidelines of ethical use of social media – a check
list of best practices to remind educators what they should be thinking about
as they apply social media in the classroom. Not written for a US audience but
all points seem applicable.
Video:
Should professors and students be Facebook friends?
I have heard this discussion around campus and seen it
debated on some academic groups I am a member of on Facebook. This video shows
different student perspectives about if they will be Facebook friends with
professors or not. If you want to engage your classes using social media, there
has to be a way to allow for protections and security for students and teachers.
I personally feel pressured to accept invites from co-workers but have no
problems with being friends with my professors. This is different for every
person and as educators we will need to take that into account when using social
media in our lessons. What accommodation will we make for the student who does
not want to use social media?
ACTIVITY
Below are two teaching/learning activities I proposed using two popular social media sites during our discussion in Module 8 on Social Media in Education:
Below are two teaching/learning activities I proposed using two popular social media sites during our discussion in Module 8 on Social Media in Education:
Facebook Activity
On the Facebook page for my department, Learning and
Organizational Development, I can post a job aid/reference guide about a topic
that we are currently training the campus on (ex. NinerTalent Software) and
then I can ask for any questions from our followers in the comment section. As
the questions come in, I can answer them and create an informal, living, FAQ
essentially. I can also promote this post during live NinerTalent training
sessions. Later, I can turn this into a formal FAQ to post on our website and frequently
share that link to our FB page, specifically at high-volume NinerTalent use
times of the year.
Instagram Activity
I can create an Instagram page just for the team I am
currently consulting with – the Recycling Department. Their biggest pain is
employees and students not using the recycling bins appropriately. I can ask
the team to take photos of bins that are used correctly and post those with
positive comments about the bin use as well as post photos of bin mis-use. We
can promote the Instagram account across campus as part of the Recycling
Awareness campaign we are implementing and encourage student, faculty, and
staff to follow the Instagram account. The end goal would be increased proper
use of bins and perhaps some "community challenge" to want to get photos of their bins posted
to the account (for the right reasons)!
CLOSING
We are seeing two types of social media use in K-12 schools
and in Higher Education. Every school is using social media sites in the same way
that marketing professionals tapped into years ago – to promote the
school/institution and to keep in contact with the students, parents,
teachers/employees, and community partners. This is a very methodical and
strategic use of social media and many schools have “social media use” policies
that have been vetted by their legal representation. Individual educators
however, your K-12 teachers and faculty at higher education institutions, are
embracing social media use in the classroom in a more grassroots fashion. There
are no standards, best practices, or legal reviews in most cases. This is why
the concerns and discussion I mentioned about surrounding privacy and ethical
use are the biggest topic today. As an instructional technologist, I should
stay on top of these discussions, so I can know when more strategic and methodical
applications become the norm and to stay aware of the issues of using social
media in the classroom and workplace.
Here is my Tackk on Social Media:
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