Social Media in the Classroom

Speaking from the perspective of someone who teaches communications media, I feel like social media in the classroom is super important. A lot of educators and parents steer clear from allowing their students/ children to use social media because of the negative connotations that follow it, such as bullying. Older generations generally think kids are too busy on their phones as it is and want them to get off of it and go outside and pick up a book. That being said education is all about communication and getting a message to the receiver (students) so why not make it fun, interesting and relevant. Last year for my interactive media unit, I had all the students create another instagram account used for the duration of the semester in my class. Kids are already using social media, so I think it is super important to show them and educate them on how to use it responsibly. We explore our digital footprint and the effects of posting online. We also explore how it can be used in many jobs fields in the future such as influencers, businesses and marketing. The kids were so engaged this entire assignment, most of them going above and beyond and some of them continued posting on the account even when the class was over. This again is not just restricted to a com media class. When I taught social studies we dove into twitter and looked at trump's tweets and the effects it had. The kids were super entertained and we did practice tweets of what historical figures would have posted if they had twitter. The last and super beneficial way to use social media in the classroom is to create a “teacher account.” I have parents follow me to see what we are doing in their classroom. With the permission of parents and students I show off examples of students' work (pictures and videos) to inspire other students and educators. I also use it as an online portfolio to document what happens in my classroom. Social Media is so much more than something we use for fun in our spare time. It should not be seen as a taboo thing to stay away from. We need to educate our future generations on the proper use of social media so that they can use it effectively, efficiently and responsibly.

Social media in the classroom is still a fairly new concept especially in elementary schools. As a primary teacher I am amazed at how much the students already know about social media platforms like facebook, twitter, instagram and even YouTube. Many primary students are engaged on social media already with the help of their parents. Some even are posting videos on Youtube with the hopes of being the next Youtube star. To move social media into the classroom is seen with mixed emotions. As educators we should be educating out students on how to be safe online especially in todays world.