Schools and Social Media

Courtneycalhoun11During my research for social media and how school/educators are implementing, I began to have a difficult time finding elementary classrooms showcasing their ideas. Then as I read tips and ways to implement, many articles stressed the importance of privacy for young students. So, I was unable to find multiple ways of elementary students using social media but I did come across many ways middle school and high school students could use social media. In my classroom I set up a Google site to showcase weekly happenings in the classroom and my Star Student each week. I made sure the link was only accessible by those whom I shared it with. I never received feedback from parents, or knew if parents were looking at it but the excitement the students got when they got to type up their post for the week was enough for me to continue growing the site. I found many examples of Twitter being used in the classroom and Instagram. According to many websites, Facebook is so five years ago. Who would have thought! Instagram and Snapchat are the most widely used apps, or so says my 17 year old nephew. My favorite example of social media being used in the classroom was Instagram used for homework. Years ago being a high school student, I would LOVE to receive this type of homework assignment. No lengthly essay responses, just a picture of my interpretation of a line in a story. What a great way to get students thinking, expressing themselves and using social media in a safe way. I also thought the Instagram Class Reporter was a great idea for intermediate elementary students. This is a great way for students to have a "job," be excited about capturing learning and using social media in a safe way. This is something I feel could be incorporated in my third grade classroom, whether we use Instagram, Facebook, Google sites, or Twitter it would be a great addition to my classroom.Researching this topic made me excited for the upcoming school year, and I gained multiple ideas on how to get my students using social media under my supervision and in a safe way. It will help get the parents involved, and ensure them that their students are safe and smart on the Internet.