Social Media in the Middle School Classroom
Should you or should you not use social media in the middle school classroom?
When I think of social media, I think of Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Snapchat, etc. I was not thinking of platforms such as Google, YouTube, and Pinterest. When I watched the YouTube video below, it reminded me of an opportunity that my Science counterpart and her students were able to participate in this past year. She and the students had a chance to talk to an astronaut via Google Meet. They were able to listen and ask questions. She said it was something none of them will ever forget.
My generation did not have social media growing up. In fact, I didn't get my first desktop computer until my Junior year in high school and I didn't get a cell phone until college. So, while for kids today social media is a necessity and daily part of their lives, I have had to work my way into it.
In my personal opinion, it is hard to use the traditional types of social media due to the security and privacy settings for students under the age of 13. Even getting all of the parents to participate to sign up on your Remind, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media is difficult. Besides, students already struggle with their mental health and social awkwardness without the cyberbullying that happens outside of the school building on social media. However, according to Tartakovsky (2022), "The effect social media has on your mental health often comes down to how you use it, and why."
According to Lawrence (2022), "Questions about whether the world would be better off without social media are useful for classroom discussions." (p. 50) I leave it up to you to decide whether social media is a good fit for your class, but do not discredit the other apps you can use that also count as social media.
Here are some suggestions to try:
- Use Google Docs for students to share ideas for a group project on a common document.
- Use Google Maps in the Math or Social Studies classroom to locate and calculate the distance between two cities.
- Use Google Meet to record videos of projects with students.
- Use Wakelet and let students share common resources.
- Use Blogger and allow students to use it as a journal on a book they are reading.
- Use YouTube to research science projects or methods.
When people ask if I use social media in the I can now tell them, yes. Social media contains apps that help students build those relationships with their teacher, classmates, and others outside of their school building. My job is to teach them how to use social media in the educational setting. I will always count on them to teach me how to use the tools as they are much more comfortable with social media than I am.
References
Lawrence, D. (2022) Digital Writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Mikel, R. (2015, October 5). Using Social Media in a Middle School Classroom [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/8ojNkpsRtOo?si=cY5Su6V3Cw9e4z0D
Tartakovsky, M. (2022, April 20). Your Guide to Creating a Healthier Relationship with Social Media. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/social-media-and-mental-health
The way social media connects us to people around the world is incredibly impactful. How amazing to be able to have access to an astronaut simply through a computer! Ohara (2023) found that social media “has a significant role in educational communication management” (para. 1). Ohara (2023) continues to conclude that “by facilitating information sharing, collaboration, active participation and professional development, social media has changed the way we interact and learn” (para. 1). Your example of connecting with an astronaut is proof of the significance social media can have. Lawrence, 2022, continues to explain the possible benefits of social media when stating, “people continue to find ways to use social media to organize peaceful protests, share useful information instead of misinformation, build personal and romantic relationships, launch careers, and connect with fans, audiences, or consumers” (p. 49). When used correctly and safely, social media could transform the classroom.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Lawrence, D. (2022) Digital Writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Ohara, M. R. (2023). The Role of Social Media in Educational Communication Management. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 1(2), 70–76. https://doi.org/10.61100/adman.v1i2.25
I appreciate your caution about using traditional social media with younger students. Your point about mental health impacts is important. As you noted, Lawrence (2022) suggests that discussing whether the world would be better without social media can be a valuable classroom exercise (p. 50). This kind of critical thinking about media use is crucial for students.
ReplyDeleteYour suggestions for using various Google tools, Wakelet, and Blogger are practical and seem less risky than traditional social media platforms. It's a good reminder that we can harness the collaborative aspects of social media without necessarily using the most popular (and potentially problematic) apps. Great insights!
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press.
DeleteI agree that I grew up in a world without social media. In fact, I started my teaching career in a world without social media, so using it in the classroom, has been completely foreign to me. However, I now understand that students need to be exposed to social media in school in order to be taught how to use it in an appropriate way. "But the ugly reality is that we must figure out a way to contend with social media, to be more ethical users of social media, to educate our legislators about its effects and how it works and to explore ways that we can combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation..." (Lawrence, 2022, p. 50). I think that traditional social media use should be discouraged in the elementary setting. However, middle and high school students are mostly using social media on their own. I believe this is an appropriate time to expose to students to the positive merit of its use. "Educators in the studies used Twitter for varying purposes, including as a means to summarize key points, push content to students, enhance instructor credibility, encourage interactions among class participants, share media in real time or reflect on assignments, or as a means of in-class assessment" (Krutka & Damico, 2020, p. 145). In conclusion, I agree that social media in the classroom should be scrutinized, but it definitely has its place.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Lawrence, D., (2022). Digital writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview
Press.
Krutka, D. G., & Damico, N. (2020). Should we ask students to tweet? Perceptions,
patterns, and problems of assigned social media participation. Contemporary Issues in
Technology and Teacher Education, 20(1), 142-175.