Social Media in the Classroom

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Online communication dominates most teens' lives; 91% have a social media account and text messaging among teens averages around 60 texts per day (TeenSafe, 2015). As adult teachers, it is important that we learn to engage students by meeting teens where they are. “As technology and social media continue to evolve at a rapid pace, our work must continue to evolve as well" (Marciano, 2015). Using social media platforms for assignments, tasks and communication purposes can help teachers create relevant and invigorating classrooms where students' interests and current social climate are taken into account.

While Facebook use is dwindling with teenagers, most high school students have an account and understand how to use it. Joanne Marciano (2015) writes that secondary English teachers “should urgently seek to make our classrooms Facebook friendly by incorporating the social networking site into our work with youth.” We can do this by creating classroom pages where students can ask for help on assignments, ask one another questions or discuss concepts from class online. Some students may be embarrassed to ask for help during class, but may feel more comfortable posting questions online (Marciano, 2015). Teachers can also have students use Facebook to upload videos and pictures from the class, to share resources about the content or to list additional material not discussed in class. Facebook is a great platform to create a community of learners beyond the confines of the classroom.

Perhaps more relevant in 2016 than Facebook, are the social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram. Teachers can use these in similar ways, but instead of focusing on discussion and text, they may need to focus more on images and videos to relay information. Katie Dunn (2015) shares ten ways to use Instagram in the classroom, including things like showcasing student work and sharing book recommendations. Teachers can ask students to use hashtags for certain content, and upload their own images to remind students about upcoming assignments or encourage students.

While more technologically involved than platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, blogging is also a social platform teachers can use to create more current classrooms. Instead of creating a physical portfolio of work, have students create a Wix or Wordpress website. Instead of requiring students to turn in weekly essays, have students post them on Tumblr. Creating their own blog may "encourage a certain level of creativity and experimentation amongst students that they might not otherwise feel comfortable with” (Poore, 2016). Blogs develop students' writing and research skills, but also add an artistic element that cannot be matched by a traditional essay.

There are many other social media platforms teachers can experiment with. YouTube can be used to post video assignments to give students a real-world audience. Pinterest can be used to collate research. Twitter can be used to find literary quotes or research current events and opinions. Social media use is highly accessible to today's teens and can be customised to any classroom, allowing students and teachers to both create and share content (Seo & Seo, 2013). Social media should be embraced by teachers, as it provides a connection point beyond the classroom. "With social networking, students can continually share any discoveries they make about class topics, whether via a thread in a discussion forum, a comment on someone’s wall, or the posting of a useful video or link.” As teachers, we need to embrace the way students communicate today and use it to enhance our classrooms for the better.

References

Dunn, K. (2015). 10 Ways to use Instagram in the classroom [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://dailygenius.com/instagram/?utm_content=buffer701a8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Marciano, J. E. (2015). Becoming facebook friendly: Social media and the culturally relevant classroom. English Journal, 104(5), 73.

Poore, M. (2016). Using social media in the classroom: A best practice guide (2nd ed.). London: SAGE Publications.

Seo, K., & Seo, K. K. (2013). Using social media effectively in the classroom: Blogs, wikis, twitter, and more. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203101490

TeenSafe. (2015). True Facts about Teens and Media: Now and Then [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.teensafe.com/blog/true-facts-about-teens-and-media/