Literature Review - Check Out That Selfie: How to Use Social Media in the Classroom

Learning Objective:

 #1 Demonstrate the understandings of how technology can promote student learning.
 #4 Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources.

Summary of Article:
   
     The article entitled, "Check Out That Selfie: How to Use Social Media in the Classroom", written by Allie Bidwell, talks about a recent survey done by the University of Phoenix Department of Education.  The survey consisted of more than 1000 teachers and out of those 1000 teachers, 47 percent said that using social media could enhance their student's education.  Forty seven percent seems an incredibly low percentage.  So what was the biggest issue the other teacher's had about using social media in the classroom? The biggest issue for the teachers is the separation between their professional and personal lives.  According to Bidwell, " most avoid using those tools for a fear of conflicts that could arise in confrontations with parents and students". Social media plays a huge part in most people's lives on a day to day basis.  The teachers that were surveyed were worried about parents trying to reach out to them on Facebook or Twitter and more importantly, the teachers were worried about facing discipline regarding personal social media posts.
     The article list a couple of incidents of teachers or coaches being disciplined due to their personal Facebook posts.  According to the Huffington Post, "Laraine Cook, a former girls’ basketball coach from Idaho, was recently fired over a controversial photo posted on her Facebook account".  Also a special education teacher was from California "was placed on administrative leave after writing on Facebook that she was meeting with “crazy parents” to talk about an autistic student she referred to as a “hot mess,” according to the San Jose Mercury News."  This is just two situations where social media hurt teachers instead of helping them, 
     According to the article, 80 of the teachers surveyed use social media personally, however only one in five use social media in the classroom.  So what can a teacher do to implement social media in their classrooms?  The article listed several ways a teacher can do this:

• The teacher could use a Twitter account to post updates about the class throughout the day
• The teacher could also use the Twitter account to have their students practice writing by responding to the posts
• A Twitter hash tag could be set up about a specific topic, for example a US History class could use #american revolution. 
• Students could start a blog about a specific topic
• The class could reach out to an author by using Skype or Face time.

This list is just a few example of what the article used as ways a teacher could use social media in the classroom.  

What does this mean?

     Technology is already used in today's classrooms.  Teachers use smart boards, laptops, and many web 2.0 tools, to teach their students.  I think some teachers are afraid to use social media in the classroom for a couple of reasons.  First, teachers many are afraid of repercussions from their districts if they post something that a parent finds offensive.  Secondly, most teachers use social media personal and they do not want to mesh their professional and personal lives together, they wan to keep it separate.  

     Social media can be a huge asset in the classroom.  I agree that most teachers do not want to combine their professional and personal lives.  If a parent needs to get in touch with a teacher, they should not be going through their Facebook accounts.  The parents need to use the method of communication that the teacher set up at the beginning of the semester. Teachers may need further education regarding how to set the boundaries of social media with their parents. 

Final Quote: 

Kathy Cook, the university's director of educational technology, said, "Social media provides a way to break down those usual four walls of a classroom to bring a larger, global perspective for the students."

Resources:

Bidwell, Allie. "Check Out That Selfie: How to Use Social Media in the Classroom." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Jauregui, Andres. "Laraine Cook, High School Coach, Fired Over Facebook Photo That Shows Fiance Holding Her Breast." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Kunzia, Rob. "Special Education Teacher's Facebook Post Calls Autistic Child a 'hot Mess' and Parents 'crazy'" - San Jose Mercury News. Daily Breeze, 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

 

Vision of Technology

                Prior to beginning my journey to becoming a teacher, I never thought about how technology is used in a classroom.  The first time I was exposed to technology in the classroom was as a mother not a student.  Last year I went to my son’s open house for second grade.  The classroom had all the usual things, books, tables where the students sat, work areas, posters on the wall.  The one thing that stood out to me was the Smart board that the class used on a regular basis.  The Smart board was amazing!  I watched as my son completed a matching game by dragging the states to their proper places, I was fascinated.

                When I was in school, the closest we got to technology in the classroom, was having the teacher using an overhead projector to teach a lesson.  The teacher would use markers to write on the special sheets of film, while the students copied the notes into their notebooks.  The only other type of technology that I can remember being used in the classroom was a film projector.

                So what is technology?  Technology can be defined as, “The purposeful application of information in the design, production, and utilization of goods and services, and in the organization of human activities.”(www.busnessdictionary.com)   What does this mean?  It mean that technology is everywhere and can be used to help our day to day lives.  Most of us have a cellphone, which is technology.  Tablets, computers, laptops, are all examples of technology.  Now we have idea as to what technology is, how can we use it in the classroom?

                Like I mentioned previously, technology in the classroom when I was in school was pretty limited.  In today’s society, technology is involved in everything we do on a daily basis and the classroom is no different.  Recently, I had the opportunity to observe an 8^th grade social studies class.  At the end the teacher used the CNN student news website to start a discussion about top stories of the day.  

http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/

She explained to me that they try to go to this particular site everyday so the students can keep with the world’s story lines.   What a great way to get the students learning about things that are going on across not only the nation but all over the world. 

                Are we moving in the right direction with technology in the classroom?  According to a recent survey by CompTIA, “revealed that 78 percent of K-12 teachers and administrators believe technology has positively impacted the classroom and the productivity of students.” (http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2011/07/14/study-emerging-technology-has-positive-impact-in-classroom?int=96e908)  According to this survey we are heading in the right direction.  I think what is really important to understand is that today’s students are different that students from years past.  Students today have everything at their fingertips.  News is instant.  They do not have to wait for the newspaper or go to the library to look up a book in the card catalog.  Today’s teachers and future teachers need to realize that students have access to research from all over the world with the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger. 

            My vision of technology includes classrooms using Smart boards, laptops and educational websites during lessons.  As a future social studies teacher, I see myself using a Smart board in a geography lesson or the History Channel website while teaching my classes.  I can also see using a webcam and other things to connect with a classroom in another country. Collaboration is a great way for students to learn about different cultures and nationalities. 

We are in the age where technology is changing every day, and I believe that teachers should be changing with the times.  Students are becoming more digitally literate in today’s society.  In order for a teacher to create a bond with their students, they need to also be digitally literate.  Students will respond better to a teacher that can use familiar gadgets during their lesson plans. 

What is technology? definition and meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/technology.html#ixzz3LFG4Fs8k

(n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2011/07/14/study-emerging-technology-has-positive-impact-in-classroom?int=96e908