Strategies to Teach Safe and Appropriate use of Social Media Sites

Dealing with twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (or other social media sites) is a reality in the classroom. What are strategies that you could employ to help teach safe and appropriate use of these sites? 

There are many resources on the web to assist teachers and parents when teaching internet safety (see below). I think a lot of teachers feel the need to start from scratch or to create strategies on their own. Professional Learning Communities are great because they are a safe place to share ideas and strategies. Of course, the Internet serves as a sort of PLC where we can share strategies with other teachers all over the world or right in our own neighbourhoods. 

One of the strategies I learned a lot about in a past course is gamification. There are many ways to achieve this. There are a lot of sites online that have pre-made games that teachers can use (i.e., Brain Pop). In one of my placements in teachers college, the teacher used a software that was provided by the board for Health. The students played games, created Public Service Announcements, took quizzes, watched videos, etc. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it right now, but if I do, I'll update this post.

Although, the software I'm referring to is not specifically linked to safe use of social media, the strategy of gamification can be. Teachers can model appropriate behaviour by using these sites in class. Students can assist in the creation and maintenance of class websites. Teachers can create scavenger hunts where students must navigate these popular sites and ultimately get more comfortable using them. Avoiding social media altogether is absolutely not the answer. By having students get familiar with these sites in a supervised environment, they are able to get comfortable with things like privacy settings and appropriate content. 

With all of that being said, abuse of social media is evident by our students. The issue of cyber bullying has increased because of how easy it is to target someone without having to face the person. By modeling and teaching students about appropriate use of these sites, it is our goal to reduce the occurrence of cyber bullying.

Some interesting links:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum

http://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/find-lesson

http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/bp-jr-topic/internet-safety/

How is the Role of the Teacher and Learner Changing in the 21st Century?

When I saw this question, my mind immediately wandered to two of my nephews. They are 5 and 8 and both can totally whip my butt at anything Mario and Nintendo. They play Minecraft and watch YouTube tutorials on the game as well. They spend more time online than they probably should and my opinion on the matter is divided. We can gain a lot of knowledge by playing games, not to mention, some solid hand to eye coordination. I even think there are some great educational games out there that we can incorporate into the classroom.

I’m torn though…

I remember being a child and you could not keep me in the house. We always had a computer as my Dad is an engineer and always kept up with the latest “gadgets”, but I was not reliant on the computer to satisfy my learning. This is where the role of the teacher and learner has changed in the 21st Century.

Technology has come a long way. We are dependent on it to organize even the simplest of tasks. We have XBox 360 with Kinect and Nintendo Wii parties and keep track of our diets and exercise regimens on our phones. It only makes sense that we would prepare our students for a lifestyle they likely already lead. A lot of teachers are “gamifying” their classrooms and incorporating iPads or tablets, as well as interactive whiteboards to keep students engaged.

I think as teachers, we should do whatever it takes to keep our students interested in learning, so long as they are, indeed, learning. If we can make learning more fun by incorporating technology into the classroom, then I think that’s great. We just need to keep in mind that technology cannot be a replacement for teacher instruction and peer interaction. I also think that by using technology, it demonstrates to students that teachers aren’t dinosaurs and can stay current with the changing times. It is also important that we demonstrate to students safer ways of communicating online and how to create an appropriate digital footprint.

Teaching Using Social Media in the Classroom

Reflection Question: How can teachers use Social Media in the classroom as both, part of the instructional approach in teaching as well as helping students understand the online web 2.0 environment?

I think it is really important for teachers to educate students in the environment within which they live. We live in a technology-infused era, and as such, we need to prepare students for it by adding technology to our teaching strategies. By integrating technologies that they would likely use on a regular basis, we can build upon their prior knowledge and we are able to show them safer methods and how to use Web 2.0 tools for more than just snapping “selfies”. As part of an instructional approach, I think using technology in our daily lessons and assignments demonstrates to students that schools are not afraid of technology, as they once seemed to be when I was a student, and that we are embracing a tech-enhanced environment.

I think I was in grade 7 or 8 when we had our first computer introduced to our classroom. I’m not sure it was ever turned on. I do recall taking keyboarding on little electronic keyboards instead of software on the computer but our classroom computer went widely under utilized. We also took a computer class (our school had recently installed a lab) but it really wasn’t fun at all and we weren’t in the lab very often. I want students to be able to explore and co-create assignments to be able to build upon their own individual skill level with technology. I want them to learn to be creative and to think outside the box, but most importantly, to be safe and to build an online footprint that they can be proud of.

Introduction

Good day all!

I am not a "blogger" but will certainly give it a shot. I am creating this blog for the purposes of an Additional Qualification course I am taking at Brock U.

A little bit about me...

My name is Candice Clark. I am married to my wonderful husband Andrew and together we have beautiful beagle, named Lazarus, and a brown tabby, named Claude. No children as of yet as life has not yet taken us in that direction.

I went to Humber College and earned my Law Clerk Diploma in 2004. From there, I worked at a large Title Insurance company in Oakville for about 4 years. The recession hit in 2008 and I lost my job. Upon careful consideration and great support from my husband, I decided to return to school and get a degree. I went to U of Guelph and earned my honours BA, majoring in English. From there, I attended the Teacher Education program at Brock U and earned my BEd. I graduated this past spring. Now, I am like many other new teachers, I am unemployed and eager to get started in my teaching career.

For the past 11 years, I have been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces as a CIC Officer (Cadet Instructors Cadre). I currently hold the rank of Major and am the Commanding Officer of 758 Argus Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in Brampton, Ontario. The cadet program is open to youth ages 12 - 18 and is the largest federally sponsoring youth program in the country. It is this program that instilled in me the dream of becoming a teacher.

This photo was taken June 2014, when I assumed command of the squadron. On the far right is the outgoing Commanding Officer, in the centre is our presiding officer, and on the left is me!

Apart from that, I have a ton of hobbies. I tend to get started on projects, only to get distracted by others. I love to read, scrapbook, crochet, and really anything crafty. If you can make it with your hands, I'll give it a try!