Social media – taking the learning outside the classroom
In the digital age, connecting with students and parents is just a click away. With so many options though, it can be overwhelming. In the library, we are actively trying to reach more students via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in order to support and enrich learning, as well as to make digital resources easily accessible. Our student survey earlier this year showed that most students are using Twitter and Instagram.
Teachers can tap into this medium to maximize learning. Always set up a school account instead of blending personal and professional posts. Teachers don’t need to follow students; hashtags and comments allow students to interact on the teacher’s feed.
Here are some ideas for both connecting with students and using these social media tools for academic assignments, dialogue, and enrichment. The suggestions focus on Instagram, but they would work with most social media platforms.
1. Virtual bulletin board. Showcase student work, particularly visual work that you are displaying in the classroom anyway. If parents are following your account, this is great PR.
2. Have students create posts as if they were a famous person in your discipline. What would William Shakespeare’s feed look like? Churchill’s? Roosevelt’s? This would work well on the real app or as a computer generated or paper and marker assignment.
3. Have students post as if they were a character in a work of fiction. Challenge students to find pictures or memes that they believe Scout or Daisy or Macbeth would post on their Instagram feeds. A short comment can explain their rationale.
4. Ask questions and solicit answers. Ex. “Hey kids, I see red and orange leaves on the trees in my yard. Why?”
5. Create virtual galleries. Discussing a specific technique in art, photography, or poetry? Looking at maps? Math graphs? Post examples over the course of the unit for students to see and get reinforcement.
6. Record and post steps in science experiments.
7. Post and have students post pictures that would make great story, journal or free-response prompts.
8. Have students share pictures of your discipline “in the real world.” Find a sign with the incorrect use of pronouns and possessives. Post road and driving signs. Or nutrition information. Snap a picture of a vocabulary word used in print.
9. Share field trip finds. Parents and students can share their photos with you and add them to your account. Highlight the best teaching and learning moments for students and parents to revisit.
10. Share recommendations. You can share and students can also share recommendations that pertain to your class: readings, magazine articles, online articles, store, ad, movie, museums, games, apps, etc.
11. Character counts. There are lots of quotes, images, and links that pertain to each content area. Post a quote by a famous writer, athlete, coach, businessman, politician or student to highlight the character pillars that we wish to see in ourselves and in our students.
Here’s one to get you started: Great Sports Quotes @ SportsMotto
12. Share humor in your field by posting cartoons, jokes, and memes.
For additional ideas, check out this link:
http://blog.leeandlow.com/2015/03/09/10-ways-to-use-instagram-in-the-classroom/
In the digital age, connecting with students and parents is just a click away. With so many options though, it can be overwhelming. In the library, we are actively trying to reach more students via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in order to support and enrich learning, as well as to make digital resources easily accessible. Our student survey earlier this year showed that most students are using Twitter and Instagram.
Teachers can tap into this medium to maximize learning. Always set up a school account instead of blending personal and professional posts. Teachers don’t need to follow students; hashtags and comments allow students to interact on the teacher’s feed.
Here are some ideas for both connecting with students and using these social media tools for academic assignments, dialogue, and enrichment. The suggestions focus on Instagram, but they would work with most social media platforms.
1. Virtual bulletin board. Showcase student work, particularly visual work that you are displaying in the classroom anyway. If parents are following your account, this is great PR.
2. Have students create posts as if they were a famous person in your discipline. What would William Shakespeare’s feed look like? Churchill’s? Roosevelt’s? This would work well on the real app or as a computer generated or paper and marker assignment.
3. Have students post as if they were a character in a work of fiction. Challenge students to find pictures or memes that they believe Scout or Daisy or Macbeth would post on their Instagram feeds. A short comment can explain their rationale.
4. Ask questions and solicit answers. Ex. “Hey kids, I see red and orange leaves on the trees in my yard. Why?”
5. Create virtual galleries. Discussing a specific technique in art, photography, or poetry? Looking at maps? Math graphs? Post examples over the course of the unit for students to see and get reinforcement.
6. Record and post steps in science experiments.
7. Post and have students post pictures that would make great story, journal or free-response prompts.
8. Have students share pictures of your discipline “in the real world.” Find a sign with the incorrect use of pronouns and possessives. Post road and driving signs. Or nutrition information. Snap a picture of a vocabulary word used in print.
9. Share field trip finds. Parents and students can share their photos with you and add them to your account. Highlight the best teaching and learning moments for students and parents to revisit.
10. Share recommendations. You can share and students can also share recommendations that pertain to your class: readings, magazine articles, online articles, store, ad, movie, museums, games, apps, etc.
11. Character counts. There are lots of quotes, images, and links that pertain to each content area. Post a quote by a famous writer, athlete, coach, businessman, politician or student to highlight the character pillars that we wish to see in ourselves and in our students.
Here’s one to get you started: Great Sports Quotes @ SportsMotto
12. Share humor in your field by posting cartoons, jokes, and memes.
For additional ideas, check out this link:
http://blog.leeandlow.com/2015/03/09/10-ways-to-use-instagram-in-the-classroom/