When I was 4 years old, my mom worked at Portillo's. If you have ever been in one, you have seen the staff speak your order into the long, bendy, shiny microphones. When we would visit my mom at work, I could not wait to take the stage and serenade the customers with my own version of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" loud as can be on those shiny mics.
When I was 8 years old, I danced...and danced...and danced some more. Tap, ballet, jazz...just danced. It is all I wanted to do. And I would do it anywhere, anytime. All you had to do was ask.
This led to my dream of one day being a Disney dancer. When I was 14 years old, Disney came and presented at a competition and I knew that is where I was meant to be. Oh yeah, once I turned 18, I would audition and be on a plane to Orlando!
When I was 16, I wanted to be an actress. More specifically, I wanted to be on a soap opera! Monologue after monologue, I would practice day and night. My favorite classes were Drama and Play Production. I wanted to be a star!
Right now, I bet you probably think I am an outgoing person.
But I am not.
As I became older, somehow, that part of me changed. Almost disappeared. I no longer want to perform or entertain. I do not always have the confidence to speak my mind or present to large groups. I don't really know how or why this happened, I just know that it did. Poof! Just like that.
And as you look around your school, or your classroom, you will see that there are many students just like me. Students who, like me, have a lot to say and great ideas to share, but may not always be able to. Inside, they are thinking how they wish they could get up there and share all that is spinning around inside their amazing brain, but on the outside, they sit silent.
Social media can give teachers and students a new platform filled with new opportunities. As a teacher and future librarian, social media can allow me to collaborate with staff and students in ways that were not possible before. Using resources, such as Edmodo, I can facilitate book clubs and discussions. Using Twitter and Facebook, I can increase parent involvement. By launching and maintaining a webpage, I can keep all stakeholders up to date on the latest and greatest trends in the world of libraries. Better yet, my students can assist in running my webpage and Twitter feeds...the possibilities are endless.
For those reasons, I agree with the author of The Educational Promise of Social Media, that social media can provide many benefits to our educators and students. Social media is not just about communication within the classroom. It can provide a more simplistic process in communicating and sharing outside of the classroom. Students can create blogs and share their thoughts with the WORLD. THE WORLD! Or, I can just as easily remind my class to wear school colors tomorrow. It is really up to us. How far do we want to go? How can we best use all that we have access to in order to best meet the needs of our students now AND prepare them for THEIR futures? Teaching proper use of social media is key to making those decisions as educators.
Social media can provide students with a platform to speak freely without having to be up on stage, singing into the shiny, bendy microphones. Social Media gives everyone a voice and a chance to be heard. Those who were once quiet and powerless are now vocal and powerful.
But, as we know, with power comes great responsibility. The more power we give to our students, the more planning and preparing we must do as leaders. We have to try to be one step ahead of our students...well....at least half of a step... We have to anticipate where obstacles may occur, what technology we have available, and what could possibly go wrong. And it will go wrong. Technology will fail, second grade students will post about farts and butts, and your principal will always walk in when both of these are somehow happening at the same exact time. Trust me.
But we also have to be prepared for what can go right! We have to prepare ourselves to be amazed by just how far our students can go once we give them this freedom to explore and grow. We have to prepare ourselves to change our perceptions of who we are as leaders as we transform into facilitators. We have to be ready for that wondrous moment when our students become the teacher. And yes, we have to be ready for that time when the student who sat quietly all year completely blows your mind when they have the opportunity to divulge their secret knowledge as they engage in deep, philosophical discussions...all through the use of social media.
Are you ready?
I am!
References:
Herff Jones Achievement Series. (2011). The educational promise of social media.
Christina-
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for opening up and sharing your thoughts about social media. I can tell this article really struck a note with you. And I agree-- communicating online can have a huge impact on students who may not want to have the spotlight in class, or are still building confidence to make that next step. Your optimism is inspiring and I think you make a great point that it is our job (or even mandate?) to make sure we are giving everyone a voice in this world. We see how the advent of smartphones, Facebook Live, and Periscope is showing us more of the story than many of the major news outlets. Everyone can now be a reporter or journalist and that is a two-edged sword. As teachers and librarians, it is up to us to teach students to use that newfound power with responsibility. In order to do that, we have to try these technologies as well! I will say that I think we need to be careful about our interactions with students in the social media world. It needs to remain professional and emphasize the learning aspect, not necessarily the social side. We need to be leaders in digital citizenship, showing students how it should be done. I agree with you in the possibilities of bringing out the best in people, but we need to make sure we teach students to be responsible and let them practice, make mistakes, and try again. After all, isn't what we do in sports, and other extra curricular activities? Thanks again, Christina for being such a passionate advocate for those who don't always have a voice!
Completely agree with you regarding keeping the focus on the learning and not just the social aspect of this new technology. Our students already know and understand the benefits of socializing using this platform. Now, we need to show them how using something that they are already comfortable with can help them to be more successful in school. Excellent point!
DeleteP.S. I'm ready too!
ReplyDeleteWooh-hooh!
DeleteChristina,
ReplyDeleteI found your post so inspirational and enlightening. I can tell you are very passionate about this topic, and I think it was very beneficial for me to read your thoughts and ideas about social media. I really went back and forth with agreeing and disagreeing with the article. As much as I absolutely loved the benefits the article discussed, I kept finding myself asking what-if questions and coming up with so many concerns. However, after reading your post I am now thinking that the younger we start students on using social media ethically and responsibly, the more time this has to resonate with them. By the time they are old enough to have their own social media accounts, they should be well aware of the consequences that may accompany inappropriate behavior on social media.
I feel like I am a lot like you! I too used to take every form of dance imaginable. I was in Showchoir and always loved to perform. Although I still enjoy such activities, I am also a lot like you in the sense that I often refrain from sharing my ideas verbally. I am more the person that takes in everyone else's thoughts and have a million ideas and thoughts going through my own head but sometimes struggle to open up and share them. In that regard, I think social media is a great option for students like you and I. I love how you brought up the student that is quiet all year and that social media would be an outlet for them to actually share the fabulous ideas flooding their mind. I firmly believe that everyone in the class should have a voice and be entitled to share their ideas, so this is certainly a great solution.
Regarding your question, "Am I ready?" I am ready with reservation! I found myself loosening up about the idea of implementation after feeling your excitement in this post. You're right...the possibilities are endless, and there are so many doors that can open to outstanding learning through the use of social media. It is something I need to experiment with first before I put my foot down and just say no. You made many great points about how powerful such platforms can be, and I do see the validity in giving it a shot!
Thanks for helping me broaden my views!
Yeah! I am so happy that I have motivated you and appreciate your honesty and hesitation. Social media is a great option but has its long list of concerns, as well. Thanks for the response!
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